A majority of Falls Church households are willing to give the city’s new organics disposal program a try.
Slightly more than 70% of city households eligible for the program were opting to get an organics bin from the government, based on preliminary statistics reported by City Manager Wyatt Shields at the Oct. 27 City Council meeting.
Of those, 32% opted to receive a 65-gallon bin, with 39% preferring the smaller 35-gallon option. The remaining 29% opted out of the effort, Shields said.
The percentages were based on the responses of just under 1,500 of the city’s 3,100 trash/recycling customers at the time of the Oct. 27 meeting. Residents had until Oct. 31 to make a final choice.
Those who do not indicate a preference will receive a bin that is the same size as their current trash cart.
Council members earlier this year agreed to add an organics bin to the trash and recycling bins already provided to residents for weekly trash pickups. Bins are set to arrive early next spring, which is when the program will start.
Organic waste from yards and kitchens can go in the bin. Trash and recycling customers will receive no additional fee for participating in organics recycling.
The city recently moved to a user fee for its trash and recycling services, with single-family properties billed directly. Previously, costs for trash and recycling were bundled into the overall real-estate tax.
Annual fees for trash, recycling and organics will be $236 or $336 annually, depending on the size — 35 gallons or 65 gallons — of a home’s main trash container.
Mayor unsure about making Vietnamese-outreach position permanent: Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi says she’d need more information before supporting the creation of a permanent a staff position targeting outreach to the Vietnamese-American community.
“We need to get more specific on what the value of that role is,” Hardi said during the Oct. 27 City Council meeting.
Council members earlier this year hired Le Nguyen as a part-time contractor to provide outreach, with funding for the position set to run through the end of the year. Officials are now considering using budget-surplus funds to extend the contract through June 2026.
City staff have asked them to consider making the position permanent starting in fiscal year 2027.
Given economic concerns, “the bar should be pretty high” before moving the position to a permanent staff role, Hardi said.
City taps new finance director: Monday, Nov. 3 was the first day on the job for the Falls Church government’s new director of finance.
David So was appointed to the position by City Manager Wyatt Shields. He most recently served as director of the Office of Management and Budget for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
“I believe in a collaborative approach to budgeting and strategic planning, and I look forward to working to ensure our financial policies continue to serve the best interests of the community,” So said in a statement released by the city government.
