Commission backs revised ARR rules, sets 6‑cubic‑yard Hornsby Bend limit and on‑site fees

The Austin Resource Recovery commission voted unanimously to recommend amended administrative rules that, if adopted by council, would set a 6‑cubic‑yard per‑person daily limit at Hornsby Bend and begin assessing on‑site fees in October 2026 as part of the FY2027 budget.

Jason McCombs, division manager with Austin Resource Recovery, told commissioners the rules are departmental implementation details that follow city code and that this is the third round of revisions. He said the Hornsby Bend limit is intended to curb commercial truckloads at a facility designed for residential use: "Hornsby Bend is not designed for commercial loads," McCombs said, and staff identified 6 cubic yards as "a reasonable limit for the average household drop off." Staff said the current per‑resident base fee will be removed and replaced by an on‑site fee to be charged only to those who use Hornsby; McCombs gave a preliminary regional ballpark of about $10 per cubic yard while stressing that the exact fee is still being calculated.

The rules also update operational practices for extra trash collections and curbside brush: staff clarified size limits for curbside setouts and added language recognizing the city's new on‑demand program for bulk and brush collections. McCombs said the updated language captures the on‑demand brush/HHW pickup model and other operational clarifications such as allowing customers to request a second recycling cart and defining a 35‑pound guideline for liftable items.

Commissioner Jan moved to approve the commission recommendation and the motion was seconded; the commission recorded a unanimous vote to forward the rules package to city council for consideration. Jan and staff said the proposal would be scheduled to go to council in May, and that staff expects to begin assessing on‑site Hornsby fees in October 2026 if council and budget processes approve the change.

The commission’s action is a recommendation to city council; council must adopt the administrative rules and budget changes before fees take effect.