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Cocoa council approves regular biweekly bulk‑waste pickups, raises monthly solid‑waste fee
Summary
The Cocoa City Council voted unanimously to add citywide routed biweekly bulk‑yard‑waste and alternating bulk‑trash pickups, extend the franchise agreement with Waste Management two years and authorize related budget adjustments; the change begins Oct. 1 with an estimated $3.74 monthly increase to the utility bill.
The Cocoa City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 12 to add regularly scheduled routed bulk‑yard waste and bulk‑trash collection to the city’s franchise agreement with Waste Management, extending the contract two years to Sept. 30, 2030. The combined service and a 3% CPI adjustment were estimated by staff to raise the average residential utility charge by about $3.74 per month beginning Oct. 1.
Council members and staff framed the change as a response to repeated complaints about mattresses, furniture and uncollected vegetative piles across the city. "You could just take a ride on any one of my streets — you’re gonna see about three or four mattresses, couches," Councilman Hearn said in arguing for the combined service. Waste Management said it would dedicate trucks to Cocoa and produce tonnage reports to document pickup activity.
City staff presented five options, ranging from maintaining the current on‑call system to adding both routed yard‑waste and bulk‑trash services (option 4). Staff described a recent windshield inspection that counted roughly 260 bulk piles across the four council districts; managers said the routed approach would reduce the time debris sits at curb and improve neighborhood appearance and property values.
Jordan Chandler, government affairs manager for Waste Management, told the council the company would assign dedicated trucks and crews to Cocoa and pledged to work with the city on customer outreach. Luigi Pace of Waste Management confirmed the service would operate on a regular schedule (every other week for each quadrant) and that the company would assist with mailers and interactive maps so residents know their pickup day.
Council members stressed performance accountability. "If there are too many [missed pickups], then there are liquidated damages in the contract," the city manager said. Residents who testified during the meeting described missed pickups on specific streets; staff and Waste Management committed to follow up on those addresses.
The council asked staff to include a review of the stormwater tier methodology in next year’s full utility study and to return with the maps, outreach plan and related budget amendments to implement the change. The motion to adopt option 4 passed by unanimous voice vote.
The council also accepted a $7,500 annual donation from Waste Management to be earmarked for local public‑safety sponsorships, which staff said could support high‑school programs and community outreach.
