The Elgin City Council on Aug. 5 authorized the interim city manager to execute an extension of the city’s solid waste collection and disposal contract with Waste Management of Texas Inc., approving a first‑year maximum increase and a process for future annual adjustments.

City staff and a Waste Management representative briefed the council before the vote, outlining service levels, customer counts and the proposed pricing structure. “Elgin collects about 200 tons of trash a month within the city limits,” a city staff presenter said, describing weekly residential collection, biweekly recycling and quarterly bulk pickup. The presenter noted the city has about 3,400 residential carts and roughly 50 commercial accounts that use cart service rather than dumpsters.

Why it matters: the contract sets the structure for residential and commercial hauling and how price adjustments will occur during the extension period. Residents and businesses will see a one‑time first‑year increase (capped at 5% under the extension proposal) and a change in how future increases are applied in years two and three.

Public comment and staff presentation
Stacy Savage, who identified herself as founder and CEO of 0 Waste Strategies and said she lives in Bastrop County, urged the council to consider competitive bidding and expanded waste‑reduction programs before locking in multi‑year rate increases. “Tonight's vote to extend your current waste hauling contract is a very important one, not just for managing waste, but for managing taxpayer dollars and planning for the future,” Savage said.

City staff explained that the extension would include a first‑year increase proposed at up to 5%, which the staff estimated would average about $1.20 per month for residential customers. Under the proposed contract the second and third years’ increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) but capped at 5% in any given year; staff said council approval would be required for those subsequent increases.

Waste Management representative Paul Dodge described operational details and recycling logistics, saying that most municipalities he works with provide curbside recycling every other week because weekly service is substantially more expensive. “Every other week is usually enough for 90% of the households,” Dodge said, while adding that customers can request an additional cart for a low incremental fee.

Council questions and service details
Council members asked about options to expand recycling and how commercial accounts—especially downtown apartments that are billed as commercial—could access recycling through the city instead of arranging service directly with the hauler. Staff said the new contract would let the city offer commercial recycling on the city’s billing system, which staff and Waste Management said should make uptake easier for those accounts.

Staff also described routine operational practices: household cart replacements (about 100 per month), a senior discount program for qualifying account holders, quarterly bulk‑pickup limits (3 cubic yards per household), and tagging procedures when items exceed allowed bulk amounts. Drivers place a green tag on items that exceed the allowance; residents are required to remove tagged excess by 7 a.m. the next day or code enforcement is notified.

Vote and outcome
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Love moved to approve the contract extension; the motion was seconded and the council approved the resolution as read. The motion carried according to the meeting transcript and the council proceeded to the next agenda item.

What the contract extension includes (as described in the meeting)
- First year: proposed cap of up to 5% increase on residential service (staff estimate ~ $1.20/month average for residents).
- Years two and three: annual contractual increase tied to the CPI with a cap at 5%; staff said council approval would be required for any subsequent increases.
- Service elements: weekly residential curbside pickup, biweekly recycling, quarterly bulk pickup (3 cubic yards max), commercial dumpster and front‑load services, added option for commercial recycling billed through the city.
- Operational benefits cited: long‑tenured drivers familiar with routes and alley access; city staff–hauler daily communication to address missed collections or customer issues.

Limitations and next steps
The council approved the extension; staff said implementation details, billing changes and outreach about the new commercial recycling option would follow. No ordinance or rate schedule was adopted on the floor; the extension authorizes the interim city manager to execute the agreement as presented to council.

Reporting note: quotes and factual detail in this article come from the Aug. 5 public comment and staff presentation recorded in the city council transcript.