Megan Navarro
DRIPPING SPRINGS — The city of Dripping Springs will be using Texas Disposal Systems (TDS) as its new solid waste and recycling service provider, effective July 1.
Following executive session at its May 6 meeting, Dripping Springs City Council voted 4-1 — with council member Taline Manassian dissenting — to authorize the city administrator to finalize the agreement and begin negotiations with Texas Disposal Services for solid waste collection and disposal services.
The city issued a request for proposals (RFP) in January for solid waste and disposal services and the city received responses from multiple entities March 12, including Frontier Waste Solutions, Texas Disposal Services and Waste Connections Lone Star.
As previously reported by the News-Dispatch, the city has used Waste Connections Lone Star as its solid waste provider since 2017, when it acquired Vaquero Waste and Recycling. It was again selected as the provider in 2020, when the city last issued an RFP for solid waste services.
“After the Request for Proposals was issued earlier this year, council selected the proposal they felt was the best fit for the city at the time,” said deputy city administrator Shawn Cox.
Cox said that there may be some scheduling changes that come with the transition, but TDS will be providing that information directly to each customer. He added that collection of additional bags of refuse will only be collected for the first six months, then, afterwards, if additional collections are regularly required, an additional trash cart will need to be arranged.
There is also a cost difference for the customers with the switch to TDS: “Residential rates for solid waste are dropping from $14.92 to $14.80. Recycling, which is an optional service, is increasing from $5.97 to $6.75,” Cox said.
Residents and business owners in the Dripping Springs city limits — not in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), as those are free to select the provider they prefer — that are not using Waste Connections and are using another provider will need to use TDS going forward, Cox said.
The city is asking residents to stay tuned to the city’s website and social media accounts, as well as mailboxes, for notifications from TDS on the transition process. More information can be found at www.cityofdrippingsprings.com/wastecollection.
Dripping Springs City Council is set to vote on the finalized contract with TDS at its next meeting at press time Tuesday, June 17.
