City to Hold Forum Discussing Trash Services

According to a press release, the City of San Angelo will host a town hall forum to gather input on garbage collection services at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 7, at the McNease Convention Center. Citizens will be able to attend the forum and voice their opinions on the collection services.

The forum will be conducted in the City Council chambers at the Convention Center, 501 Rio Concho Drive. It will also be broadcast live on SATV, Suddenlink channel 117, and on the City website.

Additionally, the City will be gathering input via an online survey and further forums. Details of those efforts will be announced at the July 7 gathering.

On June 7, the City Council considered changing the frequency of monthly bulk pickup and the collection of recyclables to once every other week. While the Council voiced support for the move, members wanted to solicit public opinion on other possible changes to trash service that might be incorporated at the same time.

Some citizens have told their Council representative they prefer, for instance, alley pickup. Some alleys in older neighborhoods are not wide enough, nor do they have the necessary overhead clearance to accommodate the automated trucks used by Republic Services, the City’s contracted trash collector. Alley pickup in those areas would require a reversion to workers manually emptying trash containers into trucks.

Operations Director Shane Kelton noted such customized service can be accommodated, but it would come with a price to customers.

“Some areas of town do not have alleyways,” Kelton said. “Whether citizens in those neighborhoods would be supportive of a change in rates to accommodate alley pickup in other areas of town remains to be seen.”