Port St. Lucie residents may soon have the option to increase their trash pickup days. The city council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would increase residential curbside pickups to twice a week.

How It Would Work

Mariana Feldpausch, the director of the city’s Office of Solid Waste, explained how the process will work. A straw poll question is non-binding and is meant to gauge public approval. 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.

Cost and Impacts

In the proposed ballot question, it explains that it would cost residents $131 more in 2028, with prices expected to increase in later years. The city’s 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 the vote in November would be non-binding, but council would heavily weigh its results. If the residents tell the council to pass this, and the mayor will do what the residents want to do, if they vote it in and the mayor’s position will be to move to that.

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.

Original reporting: WPBF (Treasure Coast / Hearst) — read the source article.