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Council debates raising curb-assistance fee as sanitation staff and recycling issues surface
Summary
Council considered an ordinance to raise the monthly curb-assistance fee for able-bodied households from about $3 to $12 while preserving free service for residents 65 and older and disabled residents; the discussion also covered equipment, staffing and recycling contamination that affect collection efficiency.
London City Council discussed Ordinance 1-55-25, which would raise the monthly curb-assistance fee for non-disabled residents from roughly $3 to $12 to reflect staff time and operational impacts on collection routes.
Council members and sanitation staff said curb-assistance—where crews retrieve and return cans for residents—adds time to routes and can require extra staff or overtime. The city’s sanitation superintendent position is currently vacant, they said, which has increased operational pressures. Staff reported instances when trash and recycling are combined or contaminated, which forces recyclable loads to the landfill and increases costs.
One council member described curb-assistance as a service used by some able-bodied residents because it is inexpensive; raising the fee to $12 per month was proposed to reduce demand among able-bodied households and improve route efficiency. The mayor and council emphasized that residents who are 65 or older or who are disabled would continue to receive curb assistance at no charge; the ordinance would not change that exemption.
Council members also discussed alternatives and trade-offs, including consolidating trash and recycling collection to a single pickup, which some councillors said could reduce labor and vehicle hours but would end separate recycling collection. Staff said the city previously expected revenue or lower net costs from recycling but now pays to haul recycling in many cases because contamination forces loads to the landfill.
No ordinance vote was recorded at the meeting. Council asked staff to return with cost comparisons, the likely fiscal impact of the proposed fee increase, and data about recycling contamination and options for changing the program.
