“You feel like you kind of got your hands slapped like a child,” says Billings resident Rich Williams
“It’s not like, you know, I stacked a recliner on top of my trash can,” Rich Williams said, expressing frustration over a recent decision by the city of Billings to strictly enforce garbage collection rules.
The conflict centers on a closed-lid requirement that began seeing stricter enforcement in late September. Under the current policy, all trash must fit entirely inside the bin with the lid completely closed to qualify for collection. While the city maintains the rule is about consistency and training, for residents like Williams, the enforcement feels disproportionate to the offense.
The stakes for local homeowners are both practical and financial. When a bin is skipped, residents often face the inconvenience of accumulating waste or the added cost of scheduling a special pickup. In Williams’ case, he paid a fee of just over four dollars to Solid Waste Management to have his missed garbage collected the following day.
City officials report declining skipped collections
Despite the individual frustrations voiced by residents, Billings Public Works data suggests that the enforcement is having the intended effect on collection efficiency. The city reported that less than 2% of cans were skipped when stricter enforcement began in late September. Since that initial rollout, that figure has dropped to below 1%.
Ward 5 Councilman Mike Boyett said the effort is about consistency. He noted that the goal is to get the community back into a consistent routine of following established protocols.
However, the gap between city-wide statistics and individual experience remains a point of contention.
Divided opinions on waste management mandates
The community’s reaction to the closed-lid rule is far from uniform. Kim Holguin, a resident of Lockwood, shared a different perspective, noting that her private trash service has utilized similar rules for years.
“Rules are meant to be followed,” Holguin said. “You know, you can’t follow them. Well, then consequence of that is your garbage doesn’t get picked up.”
Public Works continues to monitor enforcement impact
Public Works officials stated they will continue to monitor collection numbers to determine if the policy requires further adjustment or a different approach to enforcement.
For now, the city’s priority remains the data: a steady decline in skipped cans and a move toward a more predictable collection schedule.
