Houston residents, council press for fixes after months-long heavy-trash delays

Houston residents pressed the Houston City Council on Jan. 7 about persistent delays in heavy-trash, recycling and yard-waste pickup that left piles of debris on curbs for weeks across multiple neighborhoods.

Neighbors, civic leaders and several council members said the delays peaked after the holidays and a storm, and that a lack of predictable schedules and clear public communication made the problem worse. "It was 22 days late to pick up heavy trash in Montrose," said Jack Valensky, a resident who told the council the backlog made the city look bad and created safety and nuisance problems. Becky Edmonson, president of the Westbury Area Improvement Corporation, said her group counted 1,235 Westbury homes with heavy trash at the curb and that residents had left materials out through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's.

The complaints…