City Council approves increase in solid waste pickup fee

The Round Rock City Council approved on first reading Thursday, Feb. 14, a 45-cent increase in the monthly fee charged to residential customers for trash and recycling services. The fee change is needed to cover increased costs for fuel and operations incurred by Round Rock Refuse, the City’s service provider.

The second and final reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Feb. 28. If approved, the new rate will go into effect on bills mailed out beginning March 13.

Customers will also see another change to their bills at the same time with the elimination of a 13-cent recycling “credit.” The recycling credit to customers was instituted in 2011, when the City received more than $106,000 in revenue from recyclable commodity sales following the first year of curbside recycling pickup. Since then, due to softening demand for recycled commodities, that revenue has declined significantly. The cost to dispose of recyclables has increased over the same time period. Last year, the City received less than $6,700.

The net impact of all the changes: residential customers will pay $20.97 per month, a 58-cent increase, for their weekly trash and bi-weekly recycling pickup.

The last rate increase for solid waste occurred in January 2018.

The monthly fee for trash and recycling services includes the following benefits for Round Rock customers:

• Weekly garbage collection and single-stream curbside recyclingevery other week.
• Up to seven additional items curbside for regular pickup (including bundled brush and bagged leaves).
• Services at the City Recycling Center,310 Deepwood Drive, including free mulch, free household chemicals and paint from recycling events, and drop-off for items that cannot be recycled
• Shred for a Paws Causeevent in March for secure document shredding.
• Household Hazardous Waste Collectionon the first Wednesday of every month from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (except holidays).
• Spring Clean Up, which consists of scheduled days for curbside pickup of furniture and bulk items in April.

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Source: City of Round Rock