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Council directs staff to allow bulk placement up to 48 hours before scheduled pickup; staff to update ordinance language and enforcement procedures
Summary
After a lengthy study‑session discussion about bulk‑waste timing, code enforcement and collection logistics, the council directed staff to revise rules to allow residents to place bulk items up to two days before scheduled collection during bulk week and to coordinate enforcement, public education and operational changes.
Shane Davis, deputy director of public works, and Christina Ramehill, code enforcement manager, briefed the City of Farmers Branch council on options for revising bulk‑waste placement rules. The city’s current ordinance permits residents to set bulk material at the curb beginning at 6 p.m. the night before collection; staff said that timing poses challenges for elderly residents and others who may need additional time to arrange help or transport items.
Davis described practical constraints collection crews face and explained that collection crews will pick up items when they encounter them on their routes. Ramehill described the city’s enforcement workflow: code officers place a sticker on out‑of‑compliance bulk items and then log a SeeClickFix request that goes to the public‑works pickup list; special pickups are typically handled on Wednesdays for the west side of town.
Council members raised concerns about long‑term curbside clutter, storm and wind scattering lightweight materials, mattresses and wet cardboard degrading in rain, and property damage when large machinery operates on lawns. Suggestions included providing or promoting heavy “bulk bags,” clearer guidance on how to stack items to reduce damage, increasing code‑enforcement follow‑up on repeat offenders, and reopening a Citizens Collection Center to provide residents another disposal option.
After discussion, the mayor asked for direction and the council signaled consensus to change the ordinance to allow bulk items to be placed up to 48 hours (two calendar days) before scheduled collection during bulk week, rather than limiting placement to 6 p.m. the night before. Council members asked staff to coordinate the ordinance change with an outreach and marketing plan to inform residents, to adjust code‑enforcement schedules to match the new placement window and to continue using SeeClickFix and stickering for enforcement. Staff also said they would report back with data requested by council members (for example, the number of repeat offenders and an estimated cost per special pickup).
No formal vote was taken; the council gave staff direction to develop ordinance language, enforcement procedures and a public‑information plan and to return with proposed text and supporting data.
