Port St. Lucie City Council approves first reading of increased trash pick-up ordinance

Port St. Lucie residents could decide if they want more trash pick-up days.Port St. Lucie City Council discussed the topic at a meeting Monday evening and approved the first reading of an ordinance that would increase residential curbside pick-ups to twice a week.This has been a hot topic for the area since the city signed a new agreement with its current trash collector, FCC Environmental Services, in 2022.Mariana Feldpausch, the director of the city’s Office of Solid Waste, laid out how the process will work.“A straw poll question is non-binding. Its purpose is simply to gauge public approval,” Feldpausch said.If additional service is approved, it would be implemented nine to 15 months after residents vote in November. “Some impacts worth noting are that routes and schedules would be adjusted to add Saturday service and support to a twice-a-week collection. Residential collection start time shifts from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to align with Saturday landfill operating hours, as that would be a service day,” Feldpausch said.In the proposed ballot question, it explains that it would cost residents $131 more in 2028, with prices expected to increase in later years.There are also more impacts to consider.“The fact that our current provider would have to add an additional 17 trucks and drivers, so they’d have to hire people and get the equipment in. And then you have an additional five indirect employees. They have to get additional property in order to house those vehicles,” Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin said.Though the vote in November would be non-binding, Martin said council would heavily weigh its results.“I can speak for me that if the residents tell us that and vote to pass this, and I’m going to do what the residents want to do, if they vote it in and my position will be we will move to that,” Martin said.The second reading of the ordinance will take place at the city council meeting on July 13.If approved, that question will appear on the ballot in November.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25Follow us on social: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

Port St. Lucie residents could decide if they want more trash pick-up days.

Port St. Lucie City Council discussed the topic at a meeting Monday evening and approved the first reading of an ordinance that would increase residential curbside pick-ups to twice a week.

This has been a hot topic for the area since the city signed a new agreement with its current trash collector, FCC Environmental Services, in 2022.

Mariana Feldpausch, the director of the city’s Office of Solid Waste, laid out how the process will work.

“A straw poll question is non-binding. Its purpose is simply to gauge public approval,” Feldpausch said.

If additional service is approved, it would be implemented nine to 15 months after residents vote in November.

“Some impacts worth noting are that routes and schedules would be adjusted to add Saturday service and support to a twice-a-week collection. Residential collection start time shifts from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. to align with Saturday landfill operating hours, as that would be a service day,” Feldpausch said.

In the proposed ballot question, it explains that it would cost residents $131 more in 2028, with prices expected to increase in later years.

There are also more impacts to consider.

“The fact that our current provider would have to add an additional 17 trucks and drivers, so they’d have to hire people and get the equipment in. And then you have an additional five indirect employees. They have to get additional property in order to house those vehicles,” Port St. Lucie Mayor Shannon Martin said.

Though the vote in November would be non-binding, Martin said council would heavily weigh its results.

“I can speak for me that if the residents tell us that and vote to pass this, and I’m going to do what the residents want to do, if they vote it in and my position will be we will move to that,” Martin said.

The second reading of the ordinance will take place at the city council meeting on July 13.

If approved, that question will appear on the ballot in November.

Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25

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