St. Paul staff propose cart‑sharing option for 2–4 unit properties, set rules for overfilled carts

St. Paul public works staff on Wednesday presented a proposed ordinance that would let owners of 2‑ to 4‑unit properties share garbage carts or petition for dumpster service and set enforcement steps for overfilled containers.

The proposal affects roughly 6,500 properties enrolled in the city’s organized trash program and would leave billing unchanged: the city would bill the property owner for the units on a single bill rather than billing individual occupants, Public Works presenter Ms. Hossa said.

City staff said the proposal is intended to reduce curbside clutter and parking impacts where multiple carts currently sit outside small multi‑unit buildings. “We are getting slammed on phones…we're fielding about a thousand inquiries a day from residents right now,” Hossa said, explaining the department’s interest in offering new options.

Under the plan, a lot or property ID would be required to have at least one cart per participating lot. Properties with adjacent multi‑unit buildings could opt for dumpster service provided by the city’s contracted haulers; if a contracted hauler could not provide dumpster service, the ordinance would permit a private contract, staff said. Councillors noted the city also has equipment at its public works facilities to support dumpster collection.

The proposal includes enforcement and monitoring steps aimed at preventing chronic overfilling. When a hauler flags an overfilled cart, a button in the truck transmits the report into the customer service system. If a cart is overfilled three weeks out of five, the city would send a second 64‑gallon cart; the first notification would be a tag, the second a letter and the third would be the delivery of an additional cart with a start date for billing. If a property triggers the replacement requirement twice in a calendar year, staff would revoke the property’s cart‑sharing privilege, Hossa said.

Council members pressed staff on operational details. Chair Johnson asked how billing would work if properties share carts; Hossa said the existing system bills property owners today and that would not change. Councilmember Pergatsky and others asked about truck size and whether the same vehicles would collect carts and dumpsters; staff said some trucks are larger by capacity but they do not expect a large shift to dumpsters citywide.

The department also described options for single‑family households that produce less trash: an every‑other‑week pickup option is available for about $52 per quarter, with swapouts after September 1. Staff said they are researching whether cart sharing for single‑family homes is feasible but noted billing and enforcement make that more complex.

Staff said they plan to publish the ordinance for council consideration, open applications in October and set an earliest start date of Jan. 1 to allow time for staffing and implementation. Staff estimated initial uptake would be modest — “less than 10% are probably gonna share at first,” Hossa said — and that uptake could change over time.

Council members who spoke generally praised the proposal as a workable tweak to the organized collection program and encouraged staff to return with any major objections identified before the first reading on the council agenda.

Less urgent details: the city will allow private contracts for dumpster service where necessary, and the ordinance would not apply to adjacent single‑family homes. The city also plans public outreach and application processing in fall before the January start target.

The council will consider the ordinance at a forthcoming meeting; staff invited members to flag concerns before first reading so adjustments can be made early.