Vernon’s recycling program is over — for now

Vernon citizens no longer have the opportunity to recycle.
The city’s waste contractor, Waste Connection, has removed all of its recycling bins from the city.
City Manager Marty Mangum said he was caught by surprise that the company had removed all of the bins, but understood that they did it because of complaints and due to people using them as trash receptacles.
The recycling program began in April, 2012 when Waste Connection, then known as IESI, hiked the rate for trash service to Vernon customers by 3.23 percent. In exchange the company agreed to begin a recycling program in town, setting up six recycling bins around the community.
The program was successful and added bins the next year but it has been plagued by people using the bins to place garbage and construction debris.
The Vernon City Commission is slated to meet with a company representative during Tuesday night’s city commission meeting. The meeting will be at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Mangum said he had heard from several concerned citizens and he invited any community members concerned about the recycling issue to attend Tuesday’s meeting.
Mangum said the city would like to propose options for recycling such as setting containers at the city dump station where they can be monitored to prevent people from abusing the privilege by placing trash in the bins.
The meeting will also include a hearing and discussion on declaring 13 structures as dangerous and needing to be torn down; a discussion with Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture regarding downtown art projects, such as murals; an easement request at the Fire Station; a request for street closures for street dances during the summer at Vernon Parts Bar; and consideration of the sale of nine tax properties.