Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 2:51 AM | Published: December 7, 2022
MOORE, OKLA — Here are key takeaways from the City of Moore’s first December City Council meeting Monday:
- Moore discussed a curbside recycling proposal from Republic services, looking to have a program similar to other metro cities
- The City received its Financial Audit results for the fiscal year 21-22, and the results show that the city is financially healthy
Recycling proposal presentation
Early in the meeting, the Moore city council heard a presentation from Republic Services on a proposed residential recycling program. The council seemed to like the proposition, but they also had some questions that were left unanswered.
Republic proposed an every-other-week recycling service for Moore’s single family homes, relying on homeowners to pull a recycling cart to the curb.
Republic accepts paper, plastic (Only those categorized as 1 and 2, not 3-7), aluminum, and cardboard within the curbside recycling program. Glass is not accepted, and the Moore recycling center does not accept it either.
The program relies on a mandatory fee for all Moore residents but participation will be optional, a system Republic uses in Norman, Edmond, and other cities they serve around the state.
Recycling bins will cost $4.30 per bin, per household, per month for residents. The city of Moore currently charges $7.75 per month for an additional trash cart.
Republic claims that they have a 91% participation rate in Norman and Edmond, because “People find out how easy it is to use that cart and push it to their curb.”
The council still had some questions about the program, however.
Questions from the Council
Ward 1 Council member Danielle McKenzie asked if this program could affect the city’s currently operating recycling center.
According to the Republic representative in the meeting, “Midwest City, Norman, and Edmond still have a dropoff site,” and so Moore’s current recycling program is likely to still operate if this proposal is accepted.
In fact, Moore’s recycling center just moved 1 million pounds of material last year, while a comparably-sized Midwest city was able to move 4 million pounds within the same time using Republic’s curbside recycling program.
How much is recyclable?
Council member Mark Hamm of ward 2 questioned how much of the product taken to the recycling plant is actually recycled, to no concrete answer.
“We know what’s taken, but of that, what is actually [recyclable],” he asked of Republic, and they stated that “I can give you that, and I can send that to you.”
At publication, the city has yet to receive this data.
Republic did claim in the presentation that “the trash portion runs about 25%,” and said that many will use the recycling bins as a second trash cart if not properly educated.
The service could take six months to ramp up if accepted, and Republic claims that it takes around nine months for a community to be educated on how to use the bins properly.
Continued to January 3 agenda
The City of Moore has decided to put the item on the January 3rd meeting agenda, and now calls for residents to give input to their council member.
Hamm went so far as to say that, “I would be opposed to us making this decision, I would support it being a ballot question going out to the voters and the community and letting them decide if this is something that they would want as a whole.”
If you have any opinions on curbside recycling, feel free to contact Moore city hall and the council to let them know.
Moore financial audit results
In the same meeting, The city of Moore received its fiscal year 2021-2022 audit, and it showed that the city is in a healthy position financially. Here are some of the highlights-
- Sales and use tax revenue increased by 16%, about 7 million dollars. New stores have opened and have shown strong sales within Moore city limits.
- The Moore city “Reserve Fund” for unforeseen emergencies was increased by 1.4 million dollars in the fiscal year, now at 3 million dollars in total.
- The city’s long term debt has decreased by 5.5 million dollars.
The council accepted the report, and praised the city staff for a smooth running government.
Per Brooks Mitchell, City Manager, “The clean opinion and zero findings or questioned costs is due to the dedication of our staff. The City Council and I greatly appreciate their hard work.”
The next Moore city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 19th at 6:30 PM.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
