The recent switch to garbage collection using poly carts was among topics citizens addressed at last Thursday’s city of Mineola town hall to gain citizen input on city matters and the upcoming budget.

The new garbage contract with Republic Services will require all residential trash to be placed inside the provided receptacles so that they can be gathered mechanically.

Carolyn Neyer asked the city to look into providing smaller carts for those who don’t need the full 96-gallon version, which will also make them easier to store.

She and neighbor Richard Evans said their homes in Heritage Square do not have a good a place to store the large carts.

The recent issue with late water bills after the city switched to a new system was also addressed.

City Manager Cindy Karch said the letters were held up at the regional mail processing center in Coppell, and she cannot get a good answer as to why.

Some residents received their bills after the due date. Karch said no late fees were charged due to the late arrival.

An issue brought up at last year’s first town hall concerning city matters has resulted in improvements in code enforcement.

The city council created and budgeted a new full-time code enforcement position to help address problem properties, such as trash and high weeds.

A home on W. Kilpatrick that burned several years ago has still not been cleaned up.

Karch said the city is well aware of the matter.

Public Works Director Kyle McCoy said part of the problem is that the property has been sold a few times since the fire, causing the city to have to restart the time-consuming condemnation process each time.

Another question arose about the city’s noise ordinance, in what was described as a noise war on Sycamore St., “all day, every day, sometimes.”

Police Chief Chuck Bittner advised the resident to call every time there is a problem.

Todd Witt, who lives outside the city but owns 15 rental properties, commented that Mineola is not just a city but a community and questioned how to keep that alive.

Nathan Witt discussed the loss of what he termed “third spaces,” which are places to hang out, especially for young people.  He pointed to recent criminal incidents at Lake Holbrook during large gatherings.

The town hall was preceded by an online survey.

Karch showed the results based on a 1-5 scale, with beautification scoring the highest at 4.32 out of 5 followed closely by streets at 4.26.

The city council increased the street repair budget last year in response to similar survey responses.

Promoting local businesses is next at 3.84 with parks and recreation at 3.78. Economic development scored 3.65 out of 5.

Survey results were also broken down by age group and length of residency.

Karch pointed to the importance of volunteerism, especially in areas such as clean up efforts and service on city boards.

As last year, respondents suggested about half the city budget be spent on public safety, which is right in line with recent budgets.

Stability of utility rates was brought as a concern, and Karch noted that with the new water rate structure, more of the burden is being shifted away from smaller users to those using the most water.

Drainage issues were also brought up, and Karch said that is something the city struggles with daily.

One of the issues is those who put leaves out for pick up by the city in the street where they can clog storm drains, rather than on the curb, which is required by city regulations.

Following drainage studies is an important part of any new development, she said. She encouraged citizens to attend council meetings, sign up for city alerts, volunteer and ask questions of city staff and council.

There will be additional public meetings as the city works through its new comprehensive planning process.

“We need your voice,” Karch said.

Complete survey results may be viewed at cp.mineola.com and navigate to the 2024-2025 council meetings.