Residents, neighborhood leaders press council on recycling delays; officials say new director restructuring underway

Multiple speakers from Spring Branch and other neighborhoods urged the council on June 24 to address recent and prolonged shortfalls in recycling and yard‑waste pickup.

Daniel Williams described repeated missed pickup cycles in his Spring Branch neighborhood and said the city had lost workers and been operating under a hiring freeze, which contributed to the problem. "When the trucks don't come, people throw recyclable materials into the trash, which defeats the whole program," he told council.

Jack Valensky, a Greater Heights neighborhood leader, said his recycling cart waited 15 days for collection and urged clearer written guidance about service changes. "We need a plan and a public timeline," he said. Several speakers asked whether the city would allow supplemental vendors and local contractors to help with backlogs.

Councilmembers described recent changes in the Solid Waste Department: the city has a new director, is restructuring operations and expects to be largely caught up in collections in the coming days. Councilmember Peck said the new director is restructuring staffing and that trucks and capacity constraints factor into the pickup schedule. Councilmember Pollard urged the administration to accept supplemental help from neighborhood vendors and neighborhood-driven solutions where possible.

City staff asked residents with ongoing service issues to provide locations so crews could prioritize problem blocks; councilmembers committed to follow-up with Solid Waste leadership.