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Residents criticize Fort Collins trash contract and opt‑out fee; city says vacant‑lot billing errors will be fixed
Summary
Multiple residents urged the City Council to rescind or amend the consolidated residential hauling program’s opt‑out fee and asked for variances for small‑waste households and vacant lots. City staff said vacant‑lot accounts are being corrected and a low‑income offset fund exists for hardship cases.
Several Fort Collins residents used the meeting’s general public‑comment period to challenge the city’s consolidated residential hauling contract and the associated opt‑out fee, saying they had not requested Republic Services collection and were being billed for services they do not receive.
Speakers described administrative burdens and what they called punitive collection notices. Phoebe McWilliams of District 6 told council, “This is tyranny, not democracy,” after describing being required to pay an opt‑out fee for service she said she does not use. Yvonne Paez said an inspector had been sent to her property and that she was instructed to submit to a yearly inspection to keep a variance — a condition she called “sickening.”
City staff acknowledged issues with the rollout and said the letters sent to some residents were meant to be educational, not enforcement. A city staff member told the council that “vacant lots should not be charged a fee” and that residents who received erroneous bills should contact contractfortrash@fcgov.com or Republic Services’ billing line. Staff also confirmed the city has funded a low‑income offset program to assist residents in hardship circumstances and said details of that program are being worked out.
Council discussion and staff response Council members acknowledged the frustration in public comments and described the program as a work in progress. Council members asked staff to consider exemptions for subdivided single‑family homes and other special‑use properties. At least one councilor highlighted that staff learned from other jurisdictions that an opt‑out structure was the most effective way to limit truck trips, reduce contamination in single‑stream recycling and manage curbside service levels.
Clarifying details and next steps - The city said it will remove vacant‑lot accounts that were billed in error. Staff provided a city contact email (contractfortrash@fcgov.com) and Republic Services billing phone number (970‑416‑2012) for residents with disputed bills. - The council signaled support for variance processes for residents who generate very small amounts of waste; staff said multiple variance options exist and another low‑income offset pilot was funded in the recent budget cycle.
Ending Councilors urged residents with disputed charges to contact the city and Republic Services while staff continue to refine exemptions, variances and hardship supports as the consolidated hauling program matures.
