MEADOWS PLACE, Texas – Several homes in southwest Houston are experiencing trouble with their trash service.
City officials recently informed four residents who live along Radford Drive in Meadows Place that they will no longer provide trash and recycling services for them.
The residents said they received the news in a letter from the city of Houston.
Meadows Place is the closest city in Fort Bend County to the city of Houston. Their mayor said this came as a surprise to everyone, so they’re learning as they go.
Christopher Aghio-Otoghile said the city of Houston has been picking up his trash since 1985.
But, just before Christmas, service suddenly stopped.
“They just said we don’t live in Houston. But, our address is Houston, Texas,” Aghio-Otoghile said.
The homes Aghio-Otoghile and three other residents live in sit on the Fort Bend County-Houston line in a subdivision that the city of Houston serves.
“None of it makes any sense to me whatsoever,” said Meadow Place Mayor, Charles Jessup.
Jessup said they’re on a city of Houston street and receive city of Houston utilities.
“From my perspective, they didn’t quite dig deep enough,” Jessup added.
Jessup said he believes the trouble stems from a recent audit that showed the four addresses weren’t in the Houston city limits.
Now, he’s now trying to help resolve the issue after a resident contacted him asking for help.
“The city of Meadows Place isn’t going to let those people suffer,” he said. “If we can do anything to help them with the city of Houston, we will.”
Aghio-Otoghile said he’s been paying someone else $20 to haul away his trash.
“They took them away, and didn’t bring them back,” another resident, Maria Andrade, said.
Ever since the city of Houston collected her trash and recycle bins on Dec. 23, 2021, her husband has been taking their trash to the construction company he works for.
Aghio-Otoghile had only one request.
“I would appreciate it if the city of Houston would come back and start picking up our trash,” he said.
Meadows Place is collecting their trash for the time and is now working on a more permanent solution.
The city of Houston’s Solid Waste Management District released the following statement, saying, in part:
“The homes listed are located in Meadows Place City located in Fort Bend County, which is outside the City limits. Each resident has received a letter regarding their eligibility status after an audit was conducted of City of Houston services and these homes do not qualify. Fort Bend CAD Property Search (fbcad.org). Per City ordinance, we can only collect in the City Limits. Under Code of Ordinances, Section 39-48 “Limited to residential units within city. Except as otherwise provided in this article, the city shall provide garbage and rubbish collection service only to eligible residential units.”
