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Sanitation fee reset and recycling costs

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

  • What: the October sanitation fee increase, what it pays for, and the cost of recycling.
  • Where it stands: the reset fee is projected to raise $55.4 million in 2027; recycling costs about $11.2 million. The commercial abatement fee rose to $125.
  • Next: Brandy DeLarge and the economist will check collection of the abatement fee and the effect of raising it to $150; the director will send what eliminating recycling would save.
  • Key people: Matt Torry, Brandy DeLarge, JP Morrell.

Council action on the fee ordinance (official minutes)

  • Ordinance: Calendar No. 35,384, by Councilmember Morrell (by request), rewrites Sections 138-57, 138-58, 138-59, 138-61 and 138-63 of the City Code to amend the sanitation fees and their scope and to allow periodic no-cost access to city transfer stations. Introduced March 12, 2026; the Joint Budget and Public Works Committee made no recommendation. Speaker cards were filed.
  • Amendment adopted September 3, 2026: delays the effectiveness of amended Section 138-57 until January 1, 2028, with a fixed-fee model in the interim beginning October 1, 2026; apportions costs by billed service locations rather than locations receiving service; allows reductions to keep the apportionment equitable; adds periodic billing audits and safeguards; defines "unit" and "unoccupied property"; clarifies what a five-unit location is; raises volume limits for locations outside the French Quarter and Downtown Development District; and streamlines the litter abatement fee eligibility rules in Section 138-58. Morrell moved, Willard seconded; 6-1.
  • Vote on the ordinance as amended: moved by Morrell, seconded by Green; yeas Green, King, Harris, McCarron, Willard and Morrell; nay Hughes.
  • Related budget ordinance: Calendar No. 35,117, introduced May 8, 2025 by Morrell, Harris, King and one other member, would amend the 2025 operating budget to subdivide the Department of Sanitation's Other Operating allocation and de-appropriate certain sub-categories. It was deferred on September 3 (to September 17), October 1 (to October 15) and October 15 (to November 5).

Sources

Discussion time

About 12 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting Minutes
2026-10-19 - City Council Budget Hearings 12

Log

  • 2026-09-03 - City Council - Council adopted the sanitation fee reform ordinance (Calendar No. 35,384) as amended, 6-1; the Sanitation operating budget subdivision ordinance (No. 35,117) was deferred again (September 17, October 15, then November 5).
  • 2026-10-19 - City Council Budget Hearings - Reset fee in effect with October billing ($55.4 million projected); recycling cost, contract ownership and the commercial abatement fee ($100 to $125) discussed.