The city’s weekly bulky waste pickup would likely be reduced to once every two weeks under a proposal that came before the Miami City Commission on Thursday.
Facing a significant shortfall in its solid waste budget, the Miami City Commission may suspend its recycling program and cut the curbside collection of yard debris and bulky waste at residential properties citywide from once a week to once every two weeks.
A dozen residents protested the proposed cuts at Thursday’s commission meeting. Commissioners had been scheduled to take a preliminary vote on the measure. Instead, they chose to defer the proposal until the January 9 commission meeting.
The city’s solid waste service allows homeowners to place yard debris, tree cuttings, appliances, furniture and other bulky trash outside their homes for weekly collection.
The proposed changes would give the city’s Solid Waste Department the ability to adjust the frequency of service, as needed. The intention, the city says, is to reduce bulky waste service from once a week to once every two weeks.
During last fall’s budget hearings, the commission considered raising the solid waste fee paid by homeowners to $440 a year, but instead left the fee unchanged at $380.
Miami has not raised its solid waste fee in 14 years, although the department routinely runs a deficit, estimated at $20 million a year. In the past, Miami has tapped its general fund to make up the shortfall.
In a statement released in advance of Thursday’s meeting, the city said it was committed to providing “excellent and consistent” service without raising fees, while also acknowledging that its capacity to provide that service has suffered as a result.
“Since 2010, we have managed to maintain our fees, which has resulted in an aging fleet and outdated machinery,” the statement said. That has led to frequent breakdowns, which in turn has impacted the city’s ability to provide weekly service, the city said.
In a memo to commissioners, city officials said the bulky waste service also has been abused by contractors and landscapers who leave their trash at a job site rather than hauling the waste to the landfill, as required.
As for recycling, the city said the program is experiencing “high contamination” rates, which makes the program more expensive to operate.
The proposed changes will “save residents money by optimizing our resources and avoiding unnecessary expenditures,” the city said.
The residents who addressed the commission on Thursday were skeptical.
“It is hard not to feel that there is a war on residents with this elimination of services,” Fernand Amandi, a resident of the South Grove, told commissioners.
