The city of Paris will reduce its number of solid waste collection days for residential customers from two to one starting Monday, June 13.
On May 23, the Paris City Council voted to change collections from two days per week to one based on information presented during the regular meeting. City Manager Grayson Path presented the current state of the solid waste collection efforts for the citizens of Paris and shared the growing challenges the City is facing related to this particular service.
A letter mailed to Paris residents referenced the current economic environment, employee recruitment and retention being “very difficult, specifically when it comes to positions like solid waste workers,” and the department’s “significant shorthanded for close to 12 months.”
“Other employees from different public works departments have been working diligently to fill in and maintain a twice-a-week pickup schedule for our citizens,” the letter stated. “While this strategy has helped maintain the traditional trash collection service, moving staff from one department to cover another department has delayed other important work in the city – mow parks or right of ways, perform road maintenance, clean drainage ditches, install new water and sewer lines, repair existing water and sewer line leaks, or complete other preventative maintenance on water and sewer lines.”
The city council voted to amend the number of trash collection days from two to once per week, allowing for fewer staff and allowing other departments to complete their individual departmental duties.
“The number of bags allowed to be collected with the once-per-week pickup will be 12 bags – the same number of maximum bags allowed currently,” according to the letter penned by Grayson Path, Paris city manager.
Under this new schedule, sanitation crews will collect trash in roughly one-quarter of the city each day, Monday thru Thursday, based on a map viewable at www.paristexas.gov/sanitation. Bulk pickup will be available by appointment. Please contact the City Sanitation Department to schedule this pickup.
The residential solid waste collection fee for Paris residents has not increased since 2010. A solid waste collection survey was presented to the City Council of similar communities as well as a briefing on the rise in costs experienced in this department since the rates were last adjusted 12 years ago. After considering this information and the city staff’s recommendation, the city council voted not to reduce the monthly fee for sanitation services as part of this change.
Anyone that needs assistance in determining the day for their weekly trash pickup may contact the Sanitation Division by calling 903-784-9266 during regular business hours. For additional information regarding this change, please visit the City’s website at www.paristexas.gov/sanitation to learn more as well as to see the City Manager’s memorandum to the City Council.
