Audit finds 252 addresses with unbilled extra carts; city to tighten solid‑waste tracking

Glenn, a Solid Waste representative, told the council the department completed a residential cart audit and identified 252 addresses that had additional carts but were paying for only one container. "From our audit, those 252 addresses at $15 per cart equals $3,780 a month; over a 12‑month period that comes out to $45,360 per year of lost revenue," Glenn said.

Glenn described new procedures the city will use to reduce losses: more frequent audits, checking cart counts when water accounts change, recording cart ID numbers assigned to each address and purchasing new green and brown carts with the city logo (green for a single included cart, brown to indicate paid additional carts). He said a resident may have up to three carts under city ordinance and that the city charges $22.26 per month for a standard cart with an additional $15 per additional cart.

Councilors asked about enforcement on oversized bulk piles and the city’s prior practice of using a chipping company to take green waste. Glenn said the city now enforces a two‑cubic‑yard limit for bulk or green‑waste piles and that drivers write oversized piles for separate pickup and tagging. He said the city previously relied on a third party to chip green waste at no cost; when that stopped, the city began enforcing limits and charging for excess disposal to offset costs.

Council members thanked public works staff for the audit and for measures intended to reduce revenue loss and improve cart tracking. Staff said they will budget for replacement carts and continue periodic audits.