During the Nov. 18 work session, council members focused on how proposed sanitation changes would affect low‑income and fixed‑income residents and what relief options the city might provide.

Council members asked whether senior or fixed‑income exemptions could protect vulnerable residents from higher monthly sanitation charges if the city moves garbage billing out of the general tax base and onto a visible fee. Staff replied that exemptions and discounts are possible policy choices for council to adopt but would require funding and operational systems; staff said creating an exemption program or a pay‑as‑you‑throw model would need longer lead time and is not ready to be implemented as part of the current RFP process.

Council members also questioned how charging for curbside recycling would affect participation. One staff speaker argued that charging earlier in nearby jurisdictions pushed environmentally motivated residents to use the city’s regional recycling center instead of curbside subscription service. “When Loganville made the change and when Grayson made the change to start charging, our center recycling went up,” the staff member said, noting the recycling center accepts drop‑offs from nonresidents and helped keep recycling streams cleaner after the city moved to a subscription model.

No council action on exemptions or alternative rate structures was taken at the work session; staff said they would research other cities’ exemption programs and return options for council consideration at a later policy meeting or retreat. The immediate procurement timeline for the sanitation contract remains: staff will include the service design recommendations in the Jan. 5 invitation to bid and revisit exemption or pay‑as‑you‑throw options outside the current bid schedule.