City Council discussed a proposal to amend Chapter 110 of the Code of Ordinances July 8. The amendment involves changes to solid waste commercial rates and operational modifications.
The background
The Solid Waste and Recycling Division operates as an enterprise fund, relying on service revenues, not general funds, said Matthew Eckmann, assistant director of public works for the city.
Expenditures have exceeded revenues for the past two fiscal years, leading to the use of reserve funds, Eckmann said.
Current Fiscal Year
- Total Revenues: $93,208,679
- Total Expenditures: $94,168,967
- Total Revenues: $90,711,982
- Total Expenditures: $90,855,982
Eckmann proposed a new rate structure to be implemented over three fiscal years.
"The rate structure is pretty disproportionate, meaning the lower end users are paying a higher share of the cost of services than our upper range users," Eckmann said.
The new adjustments aim to ensure equity and financial sustainability, Eckmann said.
Diving in deeper
The proposal suggests changing recycling and green waste collections from weekly to bi-weekly, Eckmann said.
Set-out rates refer to the percentage of households that place their recycling or green waste bins out for collection.
Here are the set-out rates in New Braunfels:
- Set-out rates for recycling are below 50%
- Set-out rates for green waste are below 10%
The updated plan includes changes to the collection schedule and the language for accepted and prohibited items and businesses will be permitted to use rolling containers.
Public outreach and education initiatives are planned, including the introduction of a new app for waste management, Eckmann said.
Whats next
Eckmann anticipates efficiency improvements with the new material recovery facility opening in New Braunfels in 2025.
A late July City Council meeting will have a second reading of the measure.
An outreach campaign, including a new waste management app launching in August, aims to involve the community in these improvements, Eckmann said.
