City trash debate travels to Giddings for review
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Trash talk had El Campo City Council members on the road Monday traveling to Giddings to examine containerized service.

Allied Waste, the city's current garbage service, wants the city to consider containerized service using a one-man truck in the future.

To see how citizens will react, representatives are requesting a still undefined target area of the city be used for a 90-day trial period.

Council delayed any decision on the issue with Mayor Phillip Spenrath saying he wanted a committee to take a look at the proposed program.

Spenrath, Councilman Robert Boone (the El Campo sanitation chief when the city handled its own garbage) and Councilman Anthony Collins were named to the committee and took the trip to Giddings Monday along with City Manager John Steelman.

The committee's report is expected to be presented at next week's City Council meeting.

With a containerized program, one garbage man could man a truck using a hydraulic lift to hoist the containers.

Since the containers hold 95 gallons - about three large standard garbage cans - pickup may be reduced to once a week.

Heavy brush pickup would not be affected by the program.

The current garbage contract expires in October.