The Ellis County Press: City in search of citizen input City in search of citizen input ================================================================================ Megan Gray on 03/31/2011 11:58:00 DESOTO – This Saturday, April 2 at 9 a.m., the city of DeSoto is set to host a public town hall meeting on trash and brush collection located in the city council chambers located at 211 E. Pleasant Run Road. Currently, services are provided by Republic Waste Services, also known as Duncan Disposal, the city’s solid waste contractor and includes: Twice-per-week household garbage pick-up, once-per-week recycling pick-up, once-per-week bulky item pick-up, once-per-week brush pick-up. From 1999 to 2009 residents paid $13.04 per month. Though the contract required small annual adjustment rates, those adjustments were not extended to the customer. The $13.04 monthly rate was consistent for all residents for nine years according to the city’s Web site. Beautification efforts funded in the Sanitation Fund include a four-person litter and median maintenance crew, street sweeping, household hazardous waste program, Adopt-A-Street Program, annual recycling/document shredding event and monuments at major city entrances. Last year, there was a rate increase of $1.70. A commitment was made to residents from city officials rates would not increase for solid waste disposal until May of 2012, the expiration of the current contract with Republic Waste, bringing the total current residential fee to $14.74.