Trash service changes now in the hands of commissioners - KOAM TV 7

Updated January 18, 2013 at 2:00 PM CST:  A Pittsburg task force is talking trash and a vote last night now leaves the final decision in the hands of city commissioners.

In a final vote the Solid Waste Task Force approved a plan to present to the city.

It requires all residents to have a trash service provider, allowing residents to choose who they want.

Pickup for north Pittsburg residents will remain the same, Monday through Wednesday, with Wednesday through Friday for the south end.

Haulers can still decide on what time and whether it will be a front yard or backyard pickup.

"The big conclusion is that everybody's agreed on the kind of system we are going to have, that we will include all the haulers that we currently have, it will be focused on 100% compliance with what we already have," says Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall.

The plan will now be turned over to city commissioners, who have the final say.

Posted January 17, 2013 at 12:58 PM CST:  Working toward a common goal a special task force meets tonight to develop a plan to help clean up the city of Pittsburg.

In 2000 the city of Pittsburg started working on plans to ensure every Pittsburg resident has a trash service provider.

Now the Solid Waste Task Force is proposing a new plan that's being called a "hybrid".

Merle Lloyd is a co-owner of Lloyds Trash Service and has been in the business for 15 years.  He joined the task force in hopes of helping the city and the community.

He agrees with the principal of the plan.

"Nobody will go, that's part of the other thing - it's a free market system, which means everyone still retains the trash haulers they had before and customers get to choose which trash company they want," says Lloyd.  "Having all residents have a trash service is good for our city and good for our community, and the trash haulers should help them accomplish that."

Pittsburg resident Julie Gelpke uses Lloyd's Trash Service and says she understands the importance of freedom of choice to get the service she wants.

"They told me 'Julie, let's just go ahead and bring your container up here, it's not a problem, just put your trash here and don't' even worry about it,'" says Gelpke.  "And I would be very upset if I had to lose Lloyds."

Pittsburg City Manager Daron Hall believes this hybrid plan will put rumors to rest.

"For the most part, we came back with 'let's sit down and see if we can find improvements to our current system,'" says Hall.

On January 17 the task force will turn the plan over to the city commissioners who will then have the final decision.

"With the help of the task force it was easy to get to an understanding that there are improvements we can make here," says Hall.

At this point it looks like no one will lose their current hauler.

The Solid Waste Task Force will meet tonight at 6 p.m. in the Law Enforcement Center on North Pine Street.