$42 waste reduction fee proposed

[musicman]

Nearly 500,000 Houston households getting city trash service would have to pay a $42 annual fee for the service, which is now free, under recommendations presented today to the City Council.

A task force appointed by Mayor Bill White to research solid waste policy and funding told the council that the city should, for the first time, charge a

[dbigtex56]

Seems reasonable to me. Apartment complexes are taxed, yet have to pay contractors to remove trash - why do private homes get preferential treatment?

[musicman]

Seems reasonable to me. Apartment complexes are taxed, yet have to pay contractors to remove trash - why do private homes get preferential treatment?

this is a way to avoid directly raising the tax rate.

[TheNiche]

Seems reasonable to me. Apartment complexes are taxed, yet have to pay contractors to remove trash - why do private homes get preferential treatment?

Concur. So long as it leads to reduced property tax rates such that the net fiscal impact is zero, ceteris paribus, there is no justification for preferential treatment. In fact, I look forward to the day (not that far off) that property owners are charged on the basis of volume and weight of refuse collected.

[Pumapayam]

this is a way to avoid directly raising the tax rate.

Might as well raise property taxes.

If they quit mismanaging money, they'd not need to do this.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

That proposed fee is stupid. Just another excessive government revenue venture. I have said before that the Houston City Council is a 3 ring circus and Bill White is the head clown. I am not convinced the government can spend my money better than i can. They need to focus on ways of getting thier hands out of the pockets of tax payers and not looking for ways to dig deeper into the pockets of taxpayers.

[TheNiche]

That proposed fee is stupid. Just another excessive government revenue venture. I have said before that the Houston City Council is a 3 ring circus and Bill White is the head clown. I am not convinced the government can spend my money better than i can. They need to focus on ways of getting thier hands out of the pockets of tax payers and not looking for ways to dig deeper into the pockets of taxpayers.

Actually, it is a very good standalone policy. It would be curious to observe how the budgets of various departments and pet projects fluctuate in the coming fiscal year, though...

[Original Timmy Chan's]

$3.50/month for trash service (including heavy trash pickup) seems pretty damn reasonable to me.

Just curious, how much do folks outside the city limits pay per month?

[nativehou]

$3.50/month for trash service (including heavy trash pickup) seems pretty damn reasonable to me.

Just curious, how much do folks outside the city limits pay per month?

We have an investment property just outside the College Station city limits, and it would cost us about $240 a year for garbage service! I just bring my trash home to Houston when I need to. But it's only one bag every couple of weeks.

Houston needs the new Plasma Converter that turns garbage to energy -- amazing but true

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/873aa...ecbccdrcrd.html

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I thought I heard on the news tonight that the proposal would reduce heavy trash pickup to once every 6 months instead of once a month. That's HORRIBLE news if true.

If it's true, look forward to much more illegal dumping on a street near you!

I don't mind paying $3.50/month for the same service we get today, but you can't institute a fee AND reduce services! (I mean, yeah they can, what else are we gonna do, but come on!)

[Guest Marty]

I pay about 42 dollars a month for trash/water, the HOA combines them on the same bill in Spring TX

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I pay about 42 dollars a month for trash/water, the HOA combines them on the same bill in Spring TX

For comparison, our water bill usually runs between $25-$35, but can get up to $50 in the summertime if I water.

Add in the proposed trash fee, and it goes to $28.50-$38.50 per month. I don't mind giving up a little dough for trash service, but a semi-annual heavy trash pickup is just a bad idea. People are willing to let their heavy trash accumulate in the back yard for one month, but I doubt many will let it pile up for 6 months. They'll get rid of it, and I doubt much of that trash goes to the city dump.

I hope I'm wrong about the heavy trash service.

[RedScare]

Concur. So long as it leads to reduced property tax rates such that the net fiscal impact is zero, ceteris paribus, there is no justification for preferential treatment. In fact, I look forward to the day (not that far off) that property owners are charged on the basis of volume and weight of refuse collected.

We already are. All residents are permitted one big black container of waste per week. If you produce more waste in any given week, you must purchase bags for the excess waste. Additionally, on heavy trash day, you are allowed 4 cubic yards of heavy trash.

If your suggestion is that the big container is too large, and that those who do not fill it should pay less, I think some sort of penalty for not recycling could be instituted.

[musicman]

I thought I heard on the news tonight that the proposal would reduce heavy trash pickup to once every 6 months instead of once a month. That's HORRIBLE news if true.

Yep, this was in today's Chronicle as well. This would really have a devastating affect on the cleanliness of Houston. I can already imagine the piles of trash that would be found throughout houston.

...and eventually would have their heavy trash picked up only twice a year, under a mayoral task force proposal presented Monday to the City Council.

[TheNiche]

We already are. All residents are permitted one big black container of waste per week. If you produce more waste in any given week, you must purchase bags for the excess waste. Additionally, on heavy trash day, you are allowed 4 cubic yards of heavy trash.

If your suggestion is that the big container is too large, and that those who do not fill it should pay less, I think some sort of penalty for not recycling could be instituted.

Uh, no. You're hitting all around the mark, but aren't quite on it.

There are basically two costs associated with waste services: removal and storage. The cost of removal is a function of location, frequency, weight, and volume. The cost of storage is basically a function of volume. There are, of course, other costs that go into it, but these are the primary cost drivers.

The location issue can be mostly removed in urban areas by legislating a monopoly and a uniform schedule of service, which in this case is the most economically efficient. But different households produce different weights and volumes of trash, and my preference is that households are charged based upon the marginal costs that are incurred to the City.

For instance, my single-person household unit produces less than a half-bin's worth of trash in most months. The waste removal market is incredibly distorted for me because I eat out a lot, and the establishments that I patronize are passing along their trash costs to me--then I go home to my condominium, where I pay a monthly fee to remove trash and am also taxed to provide trash service to people living in single-family homes. I would much prefer that the City just charge every individual and business establishment based upon their output of garbage by weight and volume. It's more efficient; it is more equitable.

[RedScare]

Congratulations on saying the same thing I did in many more words.

Your gripe is not that the City does not charge on volume, merely that the initial volume allowed is more than you use. I produce on average one bag of garbage per week. The black bin could hold 10 or so. I could benefit from a smaller volume charge as well, but the fact remains that the City allows only that volume without additional charge.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Yep, this was in today's Chronicle as well. This would really have a devastating affect on the cleanliness of Houston. I can already imagine the piles of trash that would be found throughout houston.

...and eventually would have their heavy trash picked up only twice a year, under a mayoral task force proposal presented Monday to the City Council.

The head clown is going further off the deep end. Imagine the sorts of vermon and mosquitos and other critters such as snakes and racoons that will be attracted to mounting piles of garbage. Things like this happen when you let lunatics run the assylum.

[Guest danax]

Yep, this was in today's Chronicle as well. This would really have a devastating affect on the cleanliness of Houston. I can already imagine the piles of trash that would be found throughout houston.

...and eventually would have their heavy trash picked up only twice a year, under a mayoral task force proposal presented Monday to the City Council.

There goes the neighborhood. I guess this means "Stop Trashing Houston" is no longer the priority White announced it was a few years ago. We'll have multiple piles on every block constantly around here for a long time, guaranteed, and illegal dumping will increase exponentially. There is, however, a potentially large revenue source available here in the form of actual enforcement of the existing fine structure. Maybe the best way to teach responsible adult behavior is with an adult fine.

On the other hand, it's possible that, once the residents get fined and/or learn of the new laws, the monthly early piles will be considerably reduced, and the neighborhood will look cleaner. The only way that this scenario will happen is if enforcement and the existing "zero tolerance" is strict. As it is now, it is hit and miss with the enforcement as the department is understaffed, which is possibly why this "solution" has come up as they just can't keep up and in order to do so, the City would have to increase the number of 311 inspectors by a large degree.

It's too bad though they're having to cut it. It was a great progressive program. I will pay more for it as it's amazingly cheap but raising garbage rates and cutting heavy trash pickup seems harsh.

[Double L]

This charge is only being used to pay for recycling or heavy trash pickup. Regular automated trash pickup is still paid for by taxpayers. So why not allow for an opt-out option, giving residents the ability to refuse recycling service if they don't wanna pay the bill and charging them for heavy trash pickup every time they request it.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

This charge is only being used to pay for recycling or heavy trash pickup. Regular automated trash pickup is still paid for by taxpayers. So why not allow for an opt-out option, giving residents the ability to refuse recycling service if they don't wanna pay the bill and charging them for heavy trash pickup every time they request it.

Why not slash the salaries of the entire city council in half since it obviously isnt a motivator for attracting talent in its current form. Lets look at council reductions before any raise in fees/taxes.

[Double L]

^^^

???

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

^^^

???

Let them spend some time justifying thier worth before reaching further into the pockets of taxpayers with dumbass ideas such as these. Even a backward ninny wouldnt be so stupid to make proposals such as these.

[RedScare]

Frankly, I don't think the heavy trash pickup will drop off to twice a year for exactly the resons that danax is concerned about. LESS trash pickup will inevitably INCREASE illegal dumping. I think an expansion of the 311 heavy trash pickup would be a better alternative. Under that scenario, regular heavy trash pickup is ended, but a resident can call 311 to schedule individual heavy trash pickup. The number of pickups can be limited to once a month to limit abuse.

Currently, most illegal dumping is likely occurring by non-residents and commercial dumpers, such as small remodelers. These groups do not participate in heavy trash pickup. Eliminating heavy trash pickup would add residents without pickups to the list, since they could not haul their trash to the dump sites.

I understand the quandry. During my remodel, I used heavy trash day every month from December through March. Now that I am largely finished, I will return to using it only when I prune the occasional tree. It IS a waste of resources as it is currently set up. The trick is to make it more efficient, while still getting the trash picked up.

[musicman]

As many as 1,000 Houston households getting city trash service now would lose it under policy changes proposed by a mayoral task force, while thousands of others whose situation has been uncertain would be eligible, officials said Tuesday.

For years, as more densely platted properties became increasingly common, the city had an arbitrary system for deciding which properties got city pickup and which required private contracts.

The proposed ordinance could resolve much of that ambiguity, city officials and task force members said Tuesday.

Existing policy requires municipal service to residences, including town homes, so long as they sit adjacent to a city street.

That's left some densely platted subdivisions, such as rows of town homes with only a few units facing a public street, without service. Others with homes on private drives also have been excluded.

Similar properties in other neighborhoods, however, have been granted service because pickup bins were delivered mistakenly.

article

Looks like some of the denser developments will be paying for their weekly trash pickup. The city will require them to get private trash collection.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

As many as 1,000 Houston households getting city trash service now would lose it under policy changes proposed by a mayoral task force, while thousands of others whose situation has been uncertain would be eligible, officials said Tuesday.

For years, as more densely platted properties became increasingly common, the city had an arbitrary system for deciding which properties got city pickup and which required private contracts.

The proposed ordinance could resolve much of that ambiguity, city officials and task force members said Tuesday.

Existing policy requires municipal service to residences, including town homes, so long as they sit adjacent to a city street.

That's left some densely platted subdivisions, such as rows of town homes with only a few units facing a public street, without service. Others with homes on private drives also have been excluded.

Similar properties in other neighborhoods, however, have been granted service because pickup bins were delivered mistakenly.

article

Looks like some of the denser developments will be paying for their weekly trash pickup. The city will require them to get private trash collection.

The city needs to get a hold of its operations. One hand doesnt know what the other is doing. They had a large problem with this in some parts of 3rd ward with new townhome developments. Seems the residents were getting a different answer to thier trash collection issues each time they talked to a different person.

[musicman]

The city needs to get a hold of its operations. One hand doesnt know what the other is doing. They had a large problem with this in some parts of 3rd ward with new townhome developments. Seems the residents were getting a different answer to thier trash collection issues each time they talked to a different person.

yep and now they may get it taken away...again.

[Guest Marty]

For comparison, our water bill usually runs between $25-$35, but can get up to $50 in the summertime if I water.

Add in the proposed trash fee, and it goes to $28.50-$38.50 per month. I don't mind giving up a little dough for trash service, but a semi-annual heavy trash pickup is just a bad idea. People are willing to let their heavy trash accumulate in the back yard for one month, but I doubt many will let it pile up for 6 months. They'll get rid of it, and I doubt much of that trash goes to the city dump.

I hope I'm wrong about the heavy trash service.

We get heavy pickup every Monday mornings in my neighborhood but i live in the county. I would be extremely agitated if they did not. I would have so much debris from the Water Oak trees and the Texas trash/Ash trees i would have to start burning, then the HOA would send the letters in the mail and try to take my house from me.