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Residents urge city to fix bulk‑brush pickup schedule and raise voter turnout concerns
Summary
During the public‑comment period residents said bulk brush pickup is delayed in their neighborhood and called for clearer city policies; one resident also noted very low turnout in the recent local election.
Two residents used the public‑comment period to press the council on local services and civic participation.
Alan Lytle, introduced himself as a Temple resident and said turnout in the last local election was under 5 percent and that city officials should consider ways to reduce voter apathy ahead of the May election.
Bob Brown, a resident of Temple for about 45 years, told council that bulk brush pickup in his Area 7 neighborhood is three weeks behind schedule. Brown said he made multiple trips to remove brush and had to buy safety vests for additional loads; he urged the council to consider waiving charges when residents cannot be present or when multiple loads are required. “I think this is something that ought to be waived if the people can’t be there,” Brown said. He also asked whether the city is prepared for projected population growth by 2030 and whether sanitation, police and fire services will scale accordingly.
Council members and staff replied that bulk pickup crews are working through the routes and that the city is studying fleet and staffing upgrades; one council member said new trucks coming in the summer should help, and staff noted they are coordinating pickups by area. Council members did not adopt any immediate operational change but said they would look into the complaint and the fee structure for extra loads.
