Next Tasks
Timely, right-now ways to help — and to look out for the crews who keep our alleys clean.
Beat the Heat: Look Out for Our Sanitation Workers
The crews who empty our alleys work through triple-digit Dallas afternoons so our neighborhoods stay clean. Keeping alley collection means keeping the people who provide it safe. Here are a few simple, neighborly things we can all do this summer.
- Leave out cold water. A small cooler of bottled water or electrolyte drinks by your bins on collection day is a welcome relief on a hot route.
- Set trash out early. Put carts out the night before or first thing in the morning so crews can finish before the worst afternoon heat.
- Clear the path. Roll carts to an easy-to-reach spot and keep the alley clear so workers aren't hauling extra distance in the sun.
- Don't overfill. Close the lid, bag loose trash, and break down boxes so carts aren't dangerously heavy to lift and roll.
- Say thanks. A note taped to the cart, or a wave when you see the crew, goes a long way toward recognizing hard, hot work.
- Give them room. Slow down and watch for crews when you drive through the alley, especially on collection days.
Keeping our alley crews safe is part of keeping alley service — for our neighborhoods and for the people who serve them.
Attend a Meeting: August Budget Town Halls
The City is setting the FY 2026–27 budget right now — including the new tiered rate that will set separate prices for alley vs. curbside collection.
These district budget town halls are the City's own invitation for residents to say how tax dollars are spent. Show up for your district, ask questions, and ask that alley collection be priced fairly — not turned into a penalty for the neighborhoods it was built to serve. Every district has at least one meeting, and several offer a virtual option.
A question worth asking
“How can the City propose a price for alley collection without first seeing what the private industry charges for the same service? Before any tiered rate is set, will the City put alley collection out for competitive bids so we can compare its costs against what private haulers actually charge?”
A rate built only on the Sanitation Department's own internal cost study isn't a fair market price — it's the City grading its own homework. The only way to know whether alley service is truly “too expensive” is to see what private companies would charge to do the same work. Ask for that comparison before any new rate is locked in.
| District | Council Member | Date & Time | Where | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad West | Tue, Aug 11 · 6:00 PM | Tyler Street Church | In person |
| 1 | Chad West | Thu, Aug 13 · 12:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 2 | Jesse Moreno | Mon, Aug 17 · 5:30 PM | Samuell-Grand Recreation Center | In person Bilingual |
| 2 | Jesse Moreno | Tue, Aug 25 · 5:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 2 & 6 | Jesse Moreno & Laura Cadena | Mon, Aug 24 · 6:00 PM | KB Polk Recreation Center | In person Bilingual |
| 3 | Zarin D. Gracey | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:00 PM | Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center | In person Bilingual |
| 3 | Zarin D. Gracey | Thu, Aug 20 · 6:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 4 | Maxie Johnson (Dep. Mayor Pro Tem) | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:30 PM | District 4 Community Office | Hybrid Bilingual |
| 5 | Jaime Resendez (Mayor Pro Tem) | Tue, Aug 25 · 6:30 PM | Dallas College Pleasant Grove Center | In person Bilingual |
| 6 | Laura Cadena | Tue, Aug 18 · 6:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 6 | Laura Cadena | Thu, Aug 20 · 6:00 PM | West Dallas Multipurpose Center | In person Bilingual |
| 7 | Adam Bazaldua | Mon, Aug 24 · 6:00 PM | Exline Recreation Center | In person Bilingual |
| 8 | Lorie Blair | Tue, Aug 18 · 6:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 8 | Lorie Blair | Thu, Aug 20 · 6:00 PM | Singing Hills Recreation Center | In person Bilingual |
| 9 | Paula Blackmon | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:00 PM | Lochwood Branch Library | In person |
| 9 | Paula Blackmon | Tue, Aug 18 · 6:30 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) Bilingual |
| 9 & 14 | Paula Blackmon & Paul E. Ridley | Thu, Aug 20 · 6:00 PM | Lakewood Branch Library | In person |
| 10 | Kathy Stewart | Tue, Aug 25 · 6:00 PM | Willie B. Johnson Recreation Center | In person |
| 10 & 13 | Kathy Stewart & Gay Donnell Willis | Mon, Aug 24 · 6:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Webex) |
| 11 | William Roth | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:30 PM | Fretz Park Branch Library (Black Box Theater) | In person |
| 11 | William Roth | Thu, Aug 20 · 6:30 PM | Online | Virtual (Teams) |
| 12 | Cara Mendelsohn | Thu, Aug 13 · 7:00 PM | Renner Frankford Branch Library | In person |
| 12 | Cara Mendelsohn | Mon, Aug 25 · 7:00 PM | Online | Virtual (Teams) |
| 13 | Gay Donnell Willis | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:00 PM | Walnut Hill Recreation Center | In person |
| 14 | Paul E. Ridley | Thu, Aug 13 · 6:00 PM | Oak Lawn Branch Library | In person |
Schedule compiled from the City of Dallas budget town hall calendar; dates, times, and locations are set by the City and can change. Confirm details on the City's official page before you go. “Bilingual” sessions offer Spanish interpretation.