It's been nearly five years since Jefferson City enacted an ordinance making trash service mandatory for all residents, but not all residents have embraced the requirement.
City officials are evaluating the current trash service, offered by Allied Waste, ahead of a new bid process set to start next year, and several residents have said they don't want, or need, the service.
Allied Waste reports that they serve 11,846 residential households. That figure may seem low, considering the city's population was last estimated to be 43,330 in 2013 and, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 18,479 housing units in Jefferson City, but it's actually less than 1,000 customers away from its target figure.
At the time the city entered into the solid waste services contract with Allied Waste in November 2009, city officials estimated there would be 14,000 single-family and duplex households using the service. After less than one year of the contract, city officials and Allied Waste adjusted that number to be 12,600, but Allied has never reached the projected number of households.
Two years ago, the city began to take action against those refusing to use the trash service. City Attorney Drew Hilpert said the city receives a list from Allied Waste four times per year of about 150 people who do not have trash service. City staff then gathers 75 names off the list and issues summonses, he said.
"They are offered the option that if they restore service, the summons will be dropped," Hilpert said. "A handful of summons come back without service because people move. A vast majority of people pay before court. Only a couple have ever gone to the judge, and they have all been convictions that I can remember."
But the list of names the city receives from Allied likely only encompasses those who have had trash service and do not necessarily account for those households who have never had trash service. Considering that, Hilpert said the list received from Allied has, on average, about 150 names and the company serves roughly 11,800 households, there could be up to 600 households not receiving the service or a summons.
"It's not a foolproof system," Hilpert said. "I think it's successful, but can't swear to it."
Rick Graham, manager of Allied Waste Services, said they really only know who they serve, not what households are not receiving service. Sometimes, he said, the city will call and ask if service is provided at a certain address, but other than that, they do not keep track of those who do not have service.
Janice McMillan, director of Planning and Protective Services, said not all names come from Allied. She said some names are brought to the city's attention either through complaints or staff observations.
Hilpert said though the city does offer to drop any prosecution if the person restores trash service, he does believe the method acts as a deterrent, preventing most people from not having the service.
"The people who get the summons often end up getting the service back," Hilpert said. "Are they gaming the system? I don't know for sure."
When asked if there has been an issue of repeat offenders on those lists from Allied, Hilpert said, "I haven't noticed that, but I'm sure it happens." Hilpert said he believes the code enforcement officers who deliver summonses likely would mention any repeat offenders they notice.
As the city works toward a new contract, either with Allied or another company that bids on the service, Hilpert said it is unlikely that the mandatory requirement will change. Trash companies really get the volume of customers through that requirement, he said.