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Rockwall City Council approves new garbage collection rates; Republic Services outlines delivery and schedule changes
Summary
After hours of public questions and council debate about procurement, Rockwall City Council approved a resolution fixing residential garbage collection rates and a $1 senior discount, and Republic Services described mailers, cart deliveries and a "Track My Truck" app ahead of January changes.
Rockwall City Council approved a resolution on Dec. 1 fixing garbage-collection rates tied to a new contract with Republic Services, after a 4–3 vote on a motion that included a $1 monthly discount for residents 65 and older.
Republic Services operations manager Rick Barnes told the council the company has begun homeowner mailings and will stage cart deliveries the week of Dec. 15, with cart delivery beginning Dec. 29 for some Monday/Thursday routes and Jan. 5 for other routes. Barnes said the first collection under the new schedule will be Jan. 12 and that the company will use a "Track My Truck" feature so residents can see truck progress on service days. "The first mailer went out last week…Cart delivery begins December 29 for the Monday, Thursday routes currently and January 5…January 12 is the first collection where we shift to 1 time a week for recycling and send garbage," Barnes said.
Why it matters: The vote closes a contentious chapter in Rockwall's recent procurement history. Several council members and members of the public pressed staff and Republic Services for details about recycling rules, the timing of new trucks, and how bulk pickups will be handled under the new contract. Mayor Tim McCallum and others also criticized the absence of a competitive RFP process before the contract was negotiated.
What council approved: The resolution as moved by Councilmember Rose and seconded by Councilwoman Campbell clarified residential rates, a $5 monthly charge for extra poly carts, a senior discount of $1 per month for qualifying households, and a limited-bulk concession that provides two 10-yard bulk pickups in a single, flexible month each year. The council tied the effective date for the service changes to early January 2026.
Key details from the meeting: Barnes said the company will place stickers on each cart with the new schedule and guidance and ramp up social-media and web communications the week of Dec. 15. He estimated truck deliveries from the manufacturer in May–June 2026 and explained that Rockwall is receiving a smaller, specialized side-load truck for tighter streets. On recycling, Barnes said the preference is clean, dry and loose recyclables placed in the container ("we do ask it for an empty clean and dry and loose"), though he said bags will still be collected rather than placed in landfill.
Council debate and procurement concerns: Several council members and residents said they were unhappy that the contract had been negotiated without an earlier RFP and that staff performed surveys only after the contract was negotiated. "There was no RFP for a $50,000,000 contract," Mayor Tim McCallum said during the discussion, calling the sequence of events "disappointing." Councilmember Thomas and others asked staff to close procurement-process gaps in the future.
Next steps: Staff and Republic Services will continue city outreach to HOAs and residents about the schedule and the one flexible bulk month; residents with special needs can request additional carts for a monthly fee. The rate resolution takes effect as approved by council; operational roll-out begins with mailers and cart staging in mid-December and route changes in January 2026.
