Trash talk was part of this week’s Bryan city council meeting.
First, the council was given an update on the future of the city recycling center, located in the parking lot of the Briarcrest Wal Mart.
Click HERE to read and download the presentation given to the city council.
Environmental services director Eric Zaragoza says Wal Mart plans to close the recycling center, which has been at its present site since 1996 at no cost to the city. Zaragoza says that’s the site of future restaurants.
Zaragoza says the city’s annual budget for the recycling center is $425,000 dollars. An average of 170 vehicles drop off recyclables a day. He presented the council with four options for future recycling efforts. One would cost the city an additional $426,000 dollars to move the operation to the east side of the Wal Mart parking lot near Freedom Boulevard. Another would cost the city an additional $350,000 dollars to move to land between Target and Discount Tire.
Zaragoza also brought up two options where both would end a recycling center and begin curbside recycling. One option mirrors what happens in College Station, where all residential customers pay a monthly fee. Another option provides a subsidy for participating customers.
Councilman Buppy Simank favored curbside recycling, while mayor Andrew Nelson did not want to spend more than what is currently allotted for the recycling center.
Zaragoza said if the recycling center is closed…city employees and those contracted by the city through the Junction 505 disability support group would be offered new positions.
While a council consensus went towards closing the recycling center, the council also voted to deny a permit requested by a private trash hauling company seeking to do business in Bryan. Zaragoza said the applicant would have been the smallest provider, driving one truck to service about 30 trash containers.
Councilman Buppy Simank, who made the motion to deny the permit, questioned the city’s time and cost to administer a small company.
Joining Simank to deny the permit were the mayor and councilmen Reuben Marin and Prentiss Madison. Brent Hairston voted against denying the permit. Mike Southerland and Greg Owens were absent due to illness.
Click below for comments from the March 5, 2019 Bryan city council meeting.
Listen to “Trash Talk at this week's Bryan city council meeting” on Spreaker.