Fruit Heights council agrees to move forward with a recycling survey; fee schedule to follow

Fruit Heights City Council directed staff to proceed with a community survey about curbside recycling and related service options, after residents and council members discussed costs, participation and program design.

Multiple residents pressed the council to consider curbside recycling and said landfill use was increasing. A resident praised the city newsletter and cited the newsletter’s coverage of recycling as a reason to collect broader resident input. “I really support that ... I think it should be something done district wide,” one resident said, describing recycling as an important long-term community service.

City staff told the council they had reviewed survey questions with Wasatch Integrated Waste and had used a professional firm’s input to keep the questions neutral. A staff member said, “the questions that we put together are very neutral, one way or the other,” and noted the survey is intended to inform the budget process because recycling would be a material expenditure.

Council members split on next steps: some urged a public hearing and ordinance if the council decides to adopt curbside service; others preferred starting with a survey to gather resident views. Staff warned that implementing a curbside program would affect the budget and that participation by other local entities (for example, the sewer district) could change per-household costs. One staff estimate mentioned a potential cost of roughly $42,200 if another district joined, though precise allocations remain to be finalized.

Council consensus at the meeting was to release the survey and to return to the council with results and a proposed fee schedule or ordinance as needed. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting.