AVONDALE ESTATES, Georgia (April 7, 2025)On Monday, April 7, Avondale Estates residents participating in the popular, complimentary curbside composting program received word that the program will be halted indefinitely after this week’s pickup. 

Last year, the city of Avondale Estates was awarded $323,800 through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Composting and Food Waste Reduction cooperative agreement to pilot curbside composting at city households. The USDA grant funding for this 12-month pilot program provided households with a seven-gallon food scrap bin serviced weekly by CompostNow. Due to recent federal policy changes, the funding has been frozen for an undisclosed period. The pause in fund distribution stems from the executive review of federal spending and grant programs nationwide, which has affected many climate, food systems and sustainability-focused programs.

In the absence of federal funding, the city and its partners are unable to continue providing curbside composting at no cost to residents. City staff continue to monitor the situation and are hopeful that funding will be reinstated so the complimentary service can resume as soon as possible.  

The last week of free composting pick-ups will occur this week (the week of April 7) on regularly scheduled days.

Participating residents have two options:

• Return the compost container to the curb on their normally scheduled service day during the week of April 14 or 
• Subscribe with CompostNow to continue composting services without disruption for $29 monthly. Residents choosing to continue service must register online and may cancel anytime by emailing CompostNow.

Five hundred thirty-four households participated in the pilot program, which began in mid-August 2024. In the eight months of collection, 80,243 pounds of waste were kept out of the landfill. The compost generated through the program was intended to be distributed by Food Well Alliance and Roots Down to local growers in DeKalb County and local library gardens and orchards to support edible landscapes. 

CompostNow, DeKalb County Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry, Food Well Alliance and Roots Down are partnering with the city on this first-of-its-kind program in Georgia. 

On January 24, 2024, the Board of Mayors and Commissioners (BOMC) heard recommendations from City Manager Patrick Bryant on proposed changes to the public works program, including contracting solid waste and recycling services. This past fall, the city requested proposals to determine the most cost-effective and efficient way to manage the city’s solid waste disposal. The proposals showed contracting with an outside vendor would provide cost savings while maintaining high-level quality services for the city. 

Marcel Jackson, director of Public Works, has been instrumental in developing the plan alongside Bryant to create efficiencies within the department. “We’ve been diligently working on a solution for the past year, and we believe this plan will pay dividends for the long-term fiscal health of the city and our ability to sustain ourselves as a beautiful functioning community,” noted Bryant.

The cost of providing the current sanitation program is not fully covered by the sanitation fee. However, if the BOMC accepts the staff’s recommendation, the sanitation fee will not only be reduced but will completely cover the costs of sanitation services. Changes to the delivery of sanitation services will allow remaining Public Works staff to focus on non-sanitation tasks such as stormwater maintenance, planting, pruning, roadwork, sidewalk improvements, tree work, events support, facilities management, and other improvements. The city is also considering hiring a landscape company to handle more complex landscaping tasks that require specialized expertise.  

For Jackson, the changes are welcome. In fact, Jackson started discussing how to bring a more sustainable, fiscally responsible model to the city with Bryant when he first began in 2020. Before coming to Avondale Estates, he helped lead a similar change to outsourced services in Montezuma, Georgia. “Change can be uncomfortable when you don’t know what to expect. But I’m confident this is the right thing to do to provide the citizens with the best bang for their buck,” said Jackson. Jackson says the Public Works staff will work side-by-side with the contractor to ensure a smooth transition. “We’ve spent many hours creating a solution that fits within the city’s budget and resources while maintaining high quality solid waste services that the city’s residents have come to expect. This new proposal is a win-win for the residents and our team. We take pride in our work for the city and are excited to focus on items we’ve been unable to address,” explained Jackson. 

Key takeaways from the proposed changes: 

• Homeowners will see a reduction of approximately $220 annually in their current sanitation fee. 
• Solid waste pickup will move to once a week, and recycling will remain once weekly. 
• Bulk pickup will be outsourced to the new company, and fees will decrease significantly.  
• The city will still provide the same yard waste pickup service.  
• Commercial businesses will still have multiple sanitation service options. 
• The city will retain ten positions in the Public Works department, allowing them to shift focus to other much-needed public works tasks. 
• Current staff not retained by the city will have the guaranteed option to work for the sanitation contractor, who has pledged to offer compensation packages starting at $17 per hour. 
• All these services will come under the current amount allocated for them in the 2024 adopted budget.  

Discussions on this topic will continue with the BOMC over the next month. Find the details of the proposed plan within the frequently asked questions on the Public Works Project web page.

From Mayor Jonathan Elmore:

Over the past year, we have heard from city staff and residents regarding the back door sanitation service offered by the city. We have concluded that it is time to make a change and believe it is in the best interest of the city to eliminate the back door sanitation service. This change in service will create efficiency for the city allowing staff to devote time to other needed public works tasks, and as important if not more so, it will help improve the morale and physical well-being of staff.

Starting Monday, Oct. 2, we ask all residents in single-family homes to bring their trash receptacles to the curb for pickup.

Residents who cannot perform this task may apply to maintain back door pickup by filling out the Special Assistance Request for Back Door Sanitation Pickup on the city’s website.

No changes are happening to the schedule and frequency of sanitation services – residents will still receive pickup twice a week on the same days that they normally receive service.  No decisions have been made about how sanitation will be approached long-term. To understand the costs of contracting the sanitation services to an outside party, the city has a Request for Proposal out for response from potential vendors. Staff will review options and bring suggestions to the BOMC at a future date. Thank you for your assistance with these changes. 

On January 24, 2024, the Board of Mayors and Commissioners (BOMC) heard recommendations from City Manager Patrick Bryant on proposed changes to the public works program, including contracting solid waste and recycling services. This past fall, the city requested proposals to determine the most cost-effective and efficient way to manage the city’s solid waste disposal. The proposals showed contracting with an outside vendor would provide cost savings while maintaining high-level quality services for the city. 

Marcel Jackson, director of Public Works, has been instrumental in developing the plan alongside Bryant to create efficiencies within the department. “We’ve been diligently working on a solution for the past year, and we believe this plan will pay dividends for the long-term fiscal health of the city and our ability to sustain ourselves as a beautiful functioning community,” noted Bryant.

The cost of providing the current sanitation program is not fully covered by the sanitation fee. However, if the BOMC accepts the staff’s recommendation, the sanitation fee will not only be reduced but will completely cover the costs of sanitation services. Changes to the delivery of sanitation services will allow remaining Public Works staff to focus on non-sanitation tasks such as stormwater maintenance, planting, pruning, roadwork, sidewalk improvements, tree work, events support, facilities management, and other improvements. The city is also considering hiring a landscape company to handle more complex landscaping tasks that require specialized expertise.  

For Jackson, the changes are welcome. In fact, Jackson started discussing how to bring a more sustainable, fiscally responsible model to the city with Bryant when he first began in 2020. Before coming to Avondale Estates, he helped lead a similar change to outsourced services in Montezuma, Georgia. “Change can be uncomfortable when you don’t know what to expect. But I’m confident this is the right thing to do to provide the citizens with the best bang for their buck,” said Jackson. Jackson says the Public Works staff will work side-by-side with the contractor to ensure a smooth transition. “We’ve spent many hours creating a solution that fits within the city’s budget and resources while maintaining high quality solid waste services that the city’s residents have come to expect. This new proposal is a win-win for the residents and our team. We take pride in our work for the city and are excited to focus on items we’ve been unable to address,” explained Jackson. 

Key takeaways from the proposed changes: 

• Homeowners will see a reduction of approximately $220 annually in their current sanitation fee. 
• Solid waste pickup will move to once a week, and recycling will remain once weekly. 
• Bulk pickup will be outsourced to the new company, and fees will decrease significantly.  
• The city will still provide the same yard waste pickup service.  
• Commercial businesses will still have multiple sanitation service options. 
• The city will retain ten positions in the Public Works department, allowing them to shift focus to other much-needed public works tasks. 
• Current staff not retained by the city will have the guaranteed option to work for the sanitation contractor, who has pledged to offer compensation packages starting at $17 per hour. 
• All these services will come under the current amount allocated for them in the 2024 adopted budget.  

Discussions on this topic will continue with the BOMC over the next month. Find the details of the proposed plan within the frequently asked questions on the Public Works Project web page.