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Atkins council approves 6 a.m. sanitation start after contractor asks to begin earlier
Summary
The council approved a contract amendment letting SNJ Sanitation begin collection at 6:00 a.m. (effective April 1) after the contractor asked for earlier starts to accommodate landfill schedules and multi-route operations; council voted 4–0 to approve the change.
The Atkins City Council on Monday voted unanimously to amend the city’s sanitation contract to allow collection to begin at 6:00 a.m., a compromise between the current 7:00 a.m. start and the 5:00 a.m. start that the contractor had originally requested.
Scott, who presented the draft resolution, told the council that a representative from SNJ Sanitation had asked for an earlier start to accommodate landfill closing times and to coordinate routes that serve multiple communities. "Their request was based on... landfill and early closures and their impact on other communities they serve," Scott said, describing the operational need that prompted the request.
Council discussion focused on balancing residents’ expectations about early-morning noise with operational realities. Jeremy moved to set the start time at 6:00 a.m.; Bob seconded. The motion passed on a roll call of Rolando, Fisher, Stolen and Derski (4–0).
The amendment noted an effective date of April 1 for the new start time so the contractor could adjust routes and staffing before the change took effect. Council members said the start time could be revisited later if the earlier schedule caused problems.
The council did not adopt a formal updated contract text at the meeting; staff said the resolution leaves the exact amendment language and effective date in the draft for council discretion and implementation.
The council’s action applies to both solid-waste and recycling collection under the city contract.
