Warr Acres adopts side-loading residential sanitation ordinance, sets $30 monthly rate

The Warr Acres City Council on a unanimous vote approved an ordinance to implement residential side-loading sanitation service for the city and set a monthly base rate of $30.

The ordinance amends sections of the Warr Acres Municipal Code to establish requirements, enforcement and fees for polycart (side-loader) service and includes an emergency clause to allow the city to move ahead quickly with rollout, council members said. The council also directed staff to finalize a public kickoff packet with pickup schedules and forms for additional carts and handicap service.

City staff described logistics for the transition: a manufacturer is scheduling production of lids and carts with delivery planned the week before Nov. 3; a mailing to all households with a kickoff card and a holiday schedule will be sent; and the city will post forms and a map on its website. Staff also said they will stage extra carts at the yard and deploy them as demand is received.

Public works staff said two side-loading trucks and two rear loaders will be used in the new system. Staff described training for operators (a hands-on session listed for next Wednesday at 8:00 a.m.) and explained that some streets, small cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets will be handled by rear-loader crews because the side-loader trucks are large and have limited maneuverability. Staff also said businesses and apartment complexes will continue to be served with front-loading equipment and are charged per unit; apartment billing and pickup frequencies vary by dumpster size and unit count.

Councilmembers and staff discussed customer-facing items the mailer will address: bagging trash, cart placement (near curb versus on grass), how to request additional carts, the handicap pickup form, and expectations about pickup windows. Staff said a schedule listing Ward 1 on Tuesday, Ward 2 on Wednesday, Ward 3 on Thursday and Ward 4 on Friday will be included in the kickoff materials but cautioned that exact pickup times may vary day to day because of traffic, equipment or staffing issues.

Financial and operational context was discussed at length in the meeting. Staff said the current base sanitation rate is $36 and that, accounting for the side-loader efficiencies, a rate near $33 would be close to break-even; the council set the new base at $30. Staff estimated front-loader budget revenue at roughly $900,000, with apartment unit billing making up about one-third of that revenue (approximately 1,500 units). Staff also told the council that temporary staffing costs used during the transition currently total about $5,000 per week and that retirements and reduced staffing needs from the side-loader trucks could lower labor costs going forward.

Councilmembers asked staff to post the kickoff packet online, place printed forms at city hall counters, and circulate the draft mailing to council in advance. Staff also said they will produce a small map showing streets split between adjacent pickup days where necessary. The ordinance includes provisions allowing the council or staff to change the assigned pickup days without amending the ordinance.

"I think majority of people are gonna like it," staff member Matt said of the new carts and collection system, while noting operational headaches are common in the first month or two of a new program.

The council approved both the ordinance and a separate emergency clause by roll-call votes. Councilmembers present voiced approval during the roll calls; the clerk recorded the motion outcomes.