Council considered whether to amend the city’s solid waste franchise to require weekly routed clam-truck pickups (eliminating the need for residents to schedule bulk/yard waste collection). Staff and waste hauler representatives said the current on-call system requires residents to request large (claw/clam) pickups online or by phone and that many residents do not use the scheduling process, producing visible piles in some neighborhoods.

Waste Management reported 4,268 clam-truck pickup tickets in the most recent 12-month period ending in September, a figure that does not include piles not entered into the system. Staff and council described repeated outreach efforts — code enforcement notices, door hangers, newsletter items and direct assistance by staff and council members — that had not eliminated the problem. Waste Management said the most straightforward way to address unreported piles is routed weekly clam pickup at an extra charge estimated in discussion to be about $1.42 per household per month.

Council members debated whether charging all ratepayers for routed service would be fair to residents who already comply with the on-call process and voiced concerns about creating a new recurring fee. Several members suggested alternative approaches, including more aggressive code enforcement, improved communication and possible internal staffing to enter tickets for problem locations. City Manager Rody noted that hiring staff to enter tickets could cost less than the contracted routed service and asked for time to evaluate options.

After extensive discussion, Councilmember Frampus moved and Ms. Veil seconded a motion to not authorize the city manager to amend the current waste services contract with Waste Management; the motion passed 7-0. Council directed staff to return with a cost-benefit analysis of alternatives, including potential internal staffing and enforcement approaches, and to explore operational fixes with the hauler.