Residents of Dayton should take note of some important changes approved by Dayton City Council on March 13 concerning rates for the City’s trash collection facility on Private Road 489 off of FM 1413. Council okayed an ordinance that creates some modest rate increases while also changing how those fees will be collected.
All forms of payment, including cash, check or credit card, will not be accepted at the collection facility. City leaders cited a concern for the safety of the workers as the facility is in a remote location. As communication lines are not reliable at the facility, credit card payments are not possible, they say.
The new ordinance will require some pre-planning before dropping off trash. Residents can pre-pay for their trash drop-off at the kiosk window at city hall.
“While it may be a small inconvenience to have one additional stop, the advantages are many,” said City Finance Director Rudy Zepeda in his memo to City Manager Theo Melancon and Council. “Customers would be able to pay not only with cash (current option) but also with credit/debit cards, checks or even charge their existing city trash account. Additionally, customers could purchase an annual sticker permit allowing for unlimited solid waste dumps excluding tires.”
Customers who are unaware of the changes and show up at the facility without a receipt of their purchase for landfill use will be allowed to invoice their trash drop-off by providing an identification card. Their license plate number will also be recorded onto an agreement they must sign. The City will then send them an invoice for payment.
“If they refuse to pay, then they would be blacklisted and unable to use the facility until that debt was paid off,” Zepeda said.
Council also approved a modest increase in some of the use rates. Previously seniors 62 and older were not charged for single use fees; they will now be charged $5. If they opt for an annual permit, which was previously free, the fee is $35 per year. The annual permit fee for residents under 65 is $50.
The rates for solid waste have increased from $3.35 per cubic yard to $10 per truck/trailer load. The fee for disposing of car tires jumps from $1.50 to $5 each; the fee for large tires went from $8 to $10 each. The rate for tractor tires is unchanged at $15 per tire.
The City has launched a campaign to make residents aware of the changes. Some of the ways the City plans to spread the word is through notices on utility bills, signs, posts to Facebook and through a news article in Bluebonnet News.
The City’s collection facility is open Monday, Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone number to the facility is 936-258-7803. Before planning your trip, be advised that the collection facility does not accept commercial or private haulers, including roofing shingles, batteries, hazardous materials, appliances with Freon, non-tagged paint and tires still mounted to wheels.