Little Rock city directors in a split vote Tuesday approved a more than 30% increase in the cost of residential garbage pickup to take effect Jan. 1.

The price of once-a-week, single-cart pickup will increase from $22.02 to $28.90 in 2020. The new-rate ordinance also includes a new fee for recycling offenders and a limit on free bulky item pickup.

Members of the Little Rock Board of Directors approved the legislation 6-4, with Vice Mayor B.J. Wyrick and City Directors Capi Peck, Lance Hines, Doris Wright, Gene Fortson and Dean Kumpuris voting yes. City Directors Erma Hendrix, Ken Richardson, Kathy Webb and Joan Adcock voted no.

The new rate marks the first time the city has raised the cost of its trash pickup service since 2004, and Public Works Director Jon Honeywell said the money from the uptick will allow the city to cover the cost of its services, as well as add staff and resources.

City directors who voted against the ordinance expressed concern about the burden higher rates and additional fees impose on the city's poorer residents or people on fixed incomes.

The ordinance limits bulky-item pickup to one free item per residence per year, with additional service available for $25 per collection up to 2 cubic yards and an additional $10 per cubic yard for debris exceeding that.

"Lots of people have a hard time paying their utility bill as it is," said Adcock, who serves at large, noting that residents will also see increases in their sewer service costs in the next two years. "You can just imagine if you're someone on a fixed income and you have your second bulky item, your fridge goes out. ... I think that's just a little bit strong on our citizens."

The minimum cost to take something to the city's landfill is about $33, Honeywell said, and Assistant Public Works Director Ronny Loe estimated that disposing of trash in a different city's landfill would likely be more expensive.

Also new come January will be a $50 fee for putting non-recyclable items in a recycling container, or the violating customer must forfeit the right to curbside recycling for at least one year, according to the ordinance.

Honeywell said the city would not immediately fine customers who put non-recyclable items in their bins. He said solid waste crews "tag" recycling bins that are contaminated and refuse to collect them on first offense, so the customer has an opportunity to change his behavior before being fined.

"These are the chronic contaminated bins that stay out on the street that we typically have complaints about. Those are the recycling bins that we're talking about taking those procedures with," he said.

Wright, who represents Ward 6 on the city board, said she wanted to know what residents would be getting in exchange for paying more. Honeywell said the Public Works Department plans to hire 15 more people and add a knuckleboom crane, increasing the number of vehicles in its solid waste fleet to six.

Two Little Rock residents signed up to speak about the ordinance but were not given a chance before a vote was called. Longtime neighborhood activist Rohn Muse wrote on his card that he would have spoken in favor of the ordinance. Linda Bell, a member of the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County, said she would have spoken against it because she believes the cost increase is unfair to senior citizens.

"We are obligated to pay the garbage fee no matter how much garbage. I have one sack maybe every two weeks," Bell said in an interview after the meeting. "We should either have pay-as-you-throw or perhaps a reduced rate for seniors."

In response to a question from Ward 3's Webb about when an ordinance reviving glass recycling would be put forward, Honeywell said the city is in the final stages of advertising a request for proposals for a glass recycling provider. Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said the city is committed to making sure a glass recycling proposal goes before the board this fall.

Metro on 09/18/2019