ICYMI: New trash pick-up schedule starts this week

File / City of Paris

In case you missed our previous article, the City of Paris will begin its reduction of solid waste collection days for residential customers this week from two per week to one per week.

The reduction of trash pick-up days follows a May 23 City Council meeting, wherein council members voted unanimously for the change. During the meeting, City Manager Grayson Path shared his concerns about the growing challenges facing trash pick-up at twice per week due to a labor shortage and the sanitation department being unable to keep new hires.

According to a letter mailed to Paris residents concerning the situation, recruitment and retention for the sanitation department has been “very difficult, specifically when it comes to positions like solid waste workers,” and the department has been “significantly shorthanded for close to 12 months.”

“Other employees from different public works departments have been working diligently to fill in and maintain a twice-a-week pickup schedule for our citizens,” the letter said. “While this strategy has helped maintain the traditional trash collection service, moving staff from one department to cover another department has delayed other important work in the city – mow parks or right-of-ways, perform road maintenance, clean drainage ditches, install new water and sewer lines, repair existing water and sewer line leaks, or complete other preventative maintenance on water and sewer lines.”

Path said the number of bags allowed to be collected with the once-per-week collection will be 12 – the same maximum number of bags allowed currently.

In addition, the council members considered reducing the monthly fee for sanitation services, but ultimately decided not to reduce the fee – despite the reduction of pick-up days.

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