The Covington City Council considered two ordinances for mandatory solid waste collection and both failed to pass.

The council considered option one, which proposed mandatory solid waste collection.

Option two was an ordinance for mandatory solid waste and yard waste collection.

Jeff Wagner, mayor pro tem, recused himself from the discussion and vote because he works for Republic Services, the company providing solid waste and recycle pickup for Covington. Wagner’s recusal left six voting members on the council. Both measures tied at 3-3, failing to gain a majority to pass.

Each ordinance would have gone into effect July 1, 2016 with criminal enforcement codes for illegal dumping.

According to the background information provided by the staff, Auburn, Kent and Renton have passed mandatory solid waste collection ordinances. The staff report noted after Kent adopted a mandatory ordinance there was a decrease in “code enforcement cases regarding garbage, including dumping in areas around the city such as storm ponds and green belts.”

During the council discussion of option two for both solid waste and yard waste, Councilman Mark Lanza said, “This summer we (his family) went three months without the need for yard waste. I very rarely have yard waste. I have a hard time justifying mandatory yard waste.”

Councilman Joseph Cimaomo said he is against the mandatory yard waste provision. He said his family of three would have filled a yard waste container about one time over the summer.

“We shouldn’t be asking people to pay for a service they will never use,” Cimaomo said.

Councilman Sean Smith said by not passing the solid waste and yard waste ordinance the city may be, “delaying what we will have to do in the future…. We as a county and country are starting to face limits. Inevitably we are going to have to get used to recycling. It’s hard but that is the nature of it. If we don’t do it now, it is going to be more expensive down the road. I know it is tough, but I don’t see a way around this.”

Councilwoman Marlla Mhoon said residents in the older neighborhoods in Covington are the ones getting, “stuff dumped over the fence.” She also said yard waste is more than grass clippings, but is getting food and compostable material out of the land fills. “Anything that goes into a garbage disposal should be in compost,” she said.

Mhoon said yard waste and composting may become a King County mandate in the future.

Scott said people likely don’t understand yet they will not be able to throw food directly in the yard waste bin, but that it will need to go into a special bag, which can create problems if not handled properly.

Mayor Margaret Harto said it is important to carefully consider the definition of yard waste and compostable material, which includes yard recyclables and food scraps.

Harto said there will be a necessary period of education for the community concerning solid waste, yard waste and compostable material.

“I think our community can do this,” Harto said. “We know we are going to have to deal with this down the road…. (It is) in the best interest of our city and our county and our total environment. We should take this and do this.”

Voting for option one were Cimaomo, Scott and Lanza and against were Harto, Mhoon and Smith. Voting for option two were Harto, Mhoon and Smith and against Cimaomo, Scott and Lanza.

For either option one or two to be reconsidered a council member voting in opposition must bring a motion forward.