The Jacksonville City Clerk’s Office wants to help clear up some confusion over changes coming to trash and recycling service in the new year.
The contract for residential trash service between GFL Environmental and the City of Jacksonville begins January 1st, and City Clerk Skip Bradshaw says his office has been fielding a number of phone calls from residents after they started receiving letters from the company earlier this month.
Bradshaw says just because GFL is now the only carrier licensed to haul away residential trash in the City of Jacksonville, no existing ordinance requires a resident subscribe to GFL.
Bradshaw says a number of residents have questioned the letters from GFL. He says instances such as a resident who owns a business and takes their residential trash to the dumpster they pay for at the business can opt out of the residential service.
Residents are reminded, however, that if they opt out of the GFL service, they lose their recycling containers as well. As part of the agreement with GFL, the city is no longer footing the bill for city-wide recycling. That’s now combined with the GFL trash service so anyone who doesn’t use their trash service won’t get a recycling cart.
Bradshaw also reminds residents that if the 95-gallon trash container is too large for their needs, during the month of January residents can go online and request a smaller-sized trash and/or recycling cart.
Choosing between the large or small carts won’t change the price, however, the monthly charge is the same $18.95 which GFL will bill quarterly. Bradshaw says GFL had planned to start delivering the new trash carts later this week, and he is not sure if the pending winter storm will slow that process or not.
GFL has said they intend to have the containers delivered before the end of the year, and will then pick up the old containers later in January. Anyone who wishes to opt-out of GFL service can call the Jacksonville City Clerk’s Office.
Bradshaw says everyone will receive a bill for the first quarter and that GFL is aware some residents have opted out of the service. He says corrections will be made after the first of the year.
To request a smaller cart, go to jacksonville.rehrigvision1.com after January 1st.