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Hobbs officials discuss shifting narrow-alley pickups to curbside as Waste Management outlines safety, access plans
Summary
Waste Management told the Hobbs City Commission narrow alleys, utility placement and truck size make alley service unsafe in several neighborhoods and recommended moving roughly 137–175 weekly collection stops to curbside, with special assisted services for seniors and disabled residents; commissioners agreed to staff ride-alongs before setting a start date.
Waste Management representatives told the Hobbs City Commission on Monday that the company is proposing to move services in several neighborhoods from alley pickup to curbside because narrow alleys, gas meters and utility poles make alley collection hazardous for drivers and vulnerable to damaging new infrastructure.
"It's not that they're dangerous, it's that we're dangerous in them," Don Taylor, a senior Waste Management route manager, said during a presentation on the constraints his crews face in tight turns and near buried gas meters. Taylor said the company’s current trucks are about 22 feet long and that crews often must back into alleys, risking damage to poles, meters and recently upgraded infrastructure.
Taylor said the firm identified an area bounded roughly from West Cole Avenue down to Silver Avenue (including North Acres and Northwest avenues) that represents about 137–175 lifts and would shift to twice-weekly curbside collection if the commission and staff approve the change. He recommended not implementing any transition before Jan. 13 to avoid holiday disruption and to provide time for customer education.
Commissioners and city staff raised constituent concerns about the change. Commissioner Smith said many residents in her district oppose front pickup because of wind-driven litter and the burden on older residents who may not be able to move cans. "My concern is, in my district, that it's a trash problem," Smith said, asking that staff ride the alleys with Waste Management to find solutions for elderly or handicapped residents.
Waste Management described mitigation steps: door-to-door outreach, mailed notices, a handicap/assisted pickup program in which drivers will retrieve and return containers for customers who cannot move them, and an initial cross-over period where crews will collect extras and work with residents to right-size containers. "We will pick up extras for that crossover," Taylor said.
City staff said the usual process is for staff and contractors to drive the alleys with district commissioners to confirm recommended changes and identify locations where curbside is feasible. Multiple commissioners volunteered to join ride-alongs to inspect alleys in their districts before staff sets an implementation date.
Next steps: no formal action was taken Monday; staff and Waste Management will coordinate commissioner ride-alongs and outreach plans, then return with recommended start dates and notification details. The commission did not vote on the proposal at the meeting.
