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Council debates raising curb‑assistance fee as sanitation staffing and recycling challenges surface
Summary
Council considered raising the monthly curb‑assistance fee for non‑disabled residents to improve route efficiency while sanitation staff and council members described staffing constraints, equipment issues and contamination problems in curbside recycling.
London City Council discussed a proposed increase in the monthly fee for curb assistance and broader sanitation operations, including recycling contamination and staffing shortfalls.
The pending ordinance would raise the optional curb‑assistance fee paid by customers who request the city to set out and retrieve cans. The fee discussed at the meeting would move from about $3 per month to $12 per month for able‑bodied customers; the city intends to keep curb assistance free for residents who are 65 or older or disabled and who request it.
Council members and sanitation staff said the low current fee encourages able‑bodied customers to purchase curb assistance and leave cans at the curb, which lengthens the route and reduces collection efficiency. A manager described how double pickups and the need to retrieve cans from driveways slow routes and sometimes require overtime.
Staff also described persistent problems with recycling contamination. A sanitation speaker said recycling loads are often rejected or require disposal as regular trash because of contaminants such as diapers, greasy pizza boxes and non‑recyclable toys. That contamination can force a mixed load to the landfill, increasing cost.
Council and staff discussed tradeoffs: raising the fee could reduce unnecessary curb service requests and speed routes but would be a new cost for residents; maintaining the current fee would keep the service affordable but might require more staffing, overtime or equipment. Council asked for a financial analysis of the sanitation fund and of the cost implications of either raising rates or altering recycling policy.
No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Staff will provide additional costings and operational options, including whether to continue curbside recycling or collapse recyclables into a single pickup, and will report back to council for a future vote.
