Council confirms liens for delinquent refuse accounts after outreach; staff report shows fewer delinquencies than earlier in year

City staff presented a public hearing item on delinquent refuse and recycling collection charges under the EDCO franchise. Staff said outreach, including repeated mailings, cart notices, calls and personal outreach, reduced the number of delinquent accounts from about 900 in January 2024 to approximately 126 accounts at the time of the meeting.

Cindy Horn (director of revenue management) estimated that 10–15 accounts typically pay immediately after a lien is recorded, while a consistent group (staff estimated roughly 60 accounts) remain on liens annually. Council members asked whether liens are enforced and collected; staff confirmed liens become assessments on the property tax roll and are collected through the county tax process.

The council unanimously adopted a resolution confirming the list of delinquent residential accounts and authorized the city clerk to record the amounts as liens so they will appear on property tax bills.

What happens next: The city clerk will record the lien assessments for the confirmed accounts and staff will continue outreach and monitoring for future lien cycles.