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Vienna council approves first reading to align curbside recycling with state rules, allow commingled pickup and offer a $20 tote option
Summary
On first reading the council amended Article 9.53 to align with state minimums for curbside recycling, allow commingled materials (excluding glass), permit a city-provided 45-gallon tote for a one-time nominal fee (about $20), and move toward a biweekly pickup schedule under contract.
The council approved on first reading an amendment to Article 9.53 that aligns Vienna’s mandatory curbside recycling with state minimum service levels and makes several operational changes. The amendment recognizes the state requirement that municipalities above the state population threshold must offer curbside recycling at least once monthly and updates the city’s ordinance to reflect the current contractor and processing arrangements.
The presiding official summarized changes discussed at a recent town hall: recycling collection will be commingled (residents will not have to separate paper and plastics), glass will not be accepted in curbside loads at this time, and the city will offer residents the option to use an existing green container or purchase a city-provided 45-gallon wheeled tote for a one-time nominal fee (the meeting discussed an approximate $20 fee to partially offset cost). The administration explained that, because processing moved from Parkersburg to Marietta, the contractor must pay to drop off recycling and that the recycling market and logistics have changed substantially in recent years.
Council members noted the city’s longstanding relationship with its current contractor (more than 20 years) and discussed contract timing. Officials said the city’s contract is structured as a three-year base with two optional renewal years and that, after the amendments are adopted, the existing contract will likely continue on a biweekly pickup schedule rather than weekly service. The presiding official told council that maintaining the current contractor avoids a likely price increase if the contract were competitively rebid immediately.
The ordinance passed its first reading by unanimous voice vote. No final contract award was made at the meeting; operational details such as the final tote fee, exact pickup schedule, and the date residents will receive city-provided totes will be set in upcoming contract decisions and administrative implementation.
