Commission backs ordinance language change while keeping twice-weekly trash collection

The Kingman City Municipal Utilities Commission on May 28 recommended that City Council move forward with minor amendments to Article V of the City of Kingman utility regulations intended to clarify local authority over collection frequency while preserving the city’s twice-weekly residential solid waste service.

Wendy Shear, assistant finance director, told the commission that the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) completed a rulemaking that reduced the statewide required minimum solid waste collection frequency from twice per week to once per week in February 2025. Shear said the proposed ordinance language removes references to the county environmental department and ADEQ as imposing twice-weekly requirements and clarifies that the city requires and will continue to provide twice-weekly residential collection; the twice-weekly service level remains subject to annual review during the council’s rate-setting process.

Commissioners asked whether private haulers operate inside city limits and whether the change would force businesses to accept additional pickups. Shear said the city provides residential trash service to customers within city limits and that in-city commercial licensees will be required to provide at least twice-weekly service for commercial customers; out-of-city commercial providers are not affected by the city’s in-city licensing requirements.

A commissioner raised a concern that mandating twice-weekly pickups could impose unnecessary cost if once-weekly service were sufficient for some businesses; Shear and other commissioners noted the regulation change is largely clarifying language and that current service levels are already twice-weekly. The commission voted to recommend approval of the ordinance language amendments to City Council.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be shared with City Council for a scheduled council review on June 16.