Belmont council backs roll‑out can plan, asks staff to clarify yard‑waste ordinance

Public Works Director Jonathan Wilson presented proposed revisions to Belmont’s yard‑waste rules, saying the changes respond to resident complaints about piles placed on sidewalks and in streets and to conflicting language found across two code chapters. "We identified the two chapters in the code of laws that speak to our waste — chapter 50 and chapter 92," Wilson told council, and recommended consolidating all yard‑waste language into Chapter 50 (Title: Garbage and Refuse).

The staff proposal included offering city‑issued 92‑ or 96‑gallon brown roll‑out cans stamped "City of Belmont," with staff advice that residents purchase the cans from the city. Wilson said the recommended price would be $85 per can "to cover the purchase of the can and then getting that to staff time" and that rollout cans would be collected on a dedicated Monday route. Residents who do not use the city cans would continue to have yard waste picked up on a call‑in schedule (currently Wednesday), Wilson said.

Council members focused their remarks on clarity and equity. Several asked staff to add explicit language to the ordinance allowing residents to use personal containers — and, if allowed, to set a maximum size — noting some residents may be deterred by an $85 purchase requirement. "You can still have the option to place the yards in the yard on the property," Wilson said, adding that the city’s goal is to keep yard waste off sidewalks and from blocking streets. He also noted that Stone Manor Village’s HOA has reactivated two common collection areas for residents who prefer not to use individual cans.

Council gave staff direction to incorporate several clarifications discussed at the meeting — including specifying that city cans are not required, defining permitted personal container sizes if allowed, and clarifying curbside placement timing (staff cited a rule that city roll‑out containers be placed no sooner than 7:00 p.m. the night before collection). Staff said the ordinances amending chapters 50 and 92, the proposed fee schedule and a potential budget to purchase rollout cans would be returned for formal approval on consent at a likely Nov. 3 meeting.

The council did not take a final vote on the ordinance tonight; members said they wanted the clearer language and fee details incorporated before formal adoption. The council encouraged outreach about the program options — city‑issued cans, use of personal containers, or leaving waste on private property — so residents understand how the ordinance will operate once adopted.