Leon Valley councilors and residents spent substantial time Sept. 16 debating whether the city should continue a policy of picking up bulk brush and yard debris at no charge, a program the council had previously authorized through the end of 2024. Councilors described the original resolution and said the policy was extended in practice but now creates recurring workload and cost pressures for public works.
Public Works and the city manager outlined options: require residents to contact the contracted provider (Tiger Sanitation) for extra pickups and pay the vendor directly; set a flat city fee for post‑event pickup; or have the city pick up unpaid overages and place a lien on the property to recover vendor charges. Staff noted implementation complexities: Tiger measures bulk piles in cubic yards (8 cubic yards is the standard threshold used in the contract), vendor fees for overage have increased (staff reported a rise from $10 to $30 per cubic yard beyond the included allowance for some services), and on‑site assessments vary based on how material is staged.
City staff said semiannual pickups often require two or more public‑works employees and equipment, and that the department has purchased a grappler truck to improve capacity. The staff estimate for a single heavy event run has averaged roughly $5,000, but actual costs vary widely with pile size and composition.
Council consensus: the council asked staff to return with concrete options for a change in policy (examples included a flat fee or a process that requires residents to prepay Tiger), and to research how comparable small municipalities handle bulk pickup. Staff noted that liens historically were placed after the city paid vendor fees when residents failed to arrange or pay for service, but collection on liens can be slow and uncertain. The ordinance amendment to revise Article 14‑02 (solid waste collection rules) was presented as a first read and will be revised with council direction before a later vote.