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Residents raise concerns about every-other-week yard waste pickup; commissioner urges restoration of weekly service
Summary
Residents told the Lake Wales commission that a switch to every-other-week curbside yard and bagged trash pickup will create unsightly yards and damage lawns; Commissioner Thompson proposed restoring weekly pickup and adding a $2 monthly fee to cover the cost.
Residents urged the City of Lake Wales commission to reconsider a planned switch to every-other-week curbside pickup for yard trash, saying the change will leave yard waste on curbs for two weeks and harm lawns.
Becky Weingkoop told commissioners she received notice with her water bill about the change and said two-week intervals would leave "dead grass" and make yards unsightly. "I'm asking you to please let us put our trash in the alley," Weingkoop said, arguing alley pickup would prevent bags sitting at curb for two weeks.
During commission comments, Commissioner Thompson said he had received multiple resident complaints and urged the commission to reverse the trial and restore weekly pickup. "I think there's an easier, more affordable solution, which is let's add the $2 a month back to the (billing), and let's get it back on a regular schedule," Thompson said. He also said alley pickup was not practical because modern equipment is too large for many alleys.
No formal action was taken during the meeting on the pickup schedule; commissioners described the change as part of a trial period and invited further discussion. The city manager and operations staff did not present a detailed cost breakdown at the public meeting; a commissioner asked staff to bring options back to the commission for consideration.
Other public commenters raised separate neighborhood concerns about traffic on State Road 60 and local infrastructure, and the commission acknowledged those concerns and said staff would continue work on traffic and safety planning where appropriate.
