Property Management & Environmental Services Committee Meeting - October 13, 2026

The Fort Worth Property Management and Environmental Services Committee met on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, beginning at 2:01 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room at 100 Fort Worth Trail, Fort Worth, Texas. Committee Chair Jeanette Martinez presided. Environmental Services staff delivered two briefings: one on recycling outreach and one on litter cleanup events and staff recognition. No formal votes were taken, and the committee adjourned at 2:23 p.m.

Recycling Outreach Efforts

• Cody Whittenburg of Environmental Services presented an update on recycling outreach, including two videos featuring Lola McCartney and Kim Garvey. The campaign emphasizes that recyclables should be 'empty, clean, and dry' and should be placed loose in the blue cart, not inside plastic bags.
• Whittenburg reported that Fort Worth's recycling stream currently has about 30% contamination, and the city's goal is to reduce it to closer to 10%. He linked this effort to the city's $4.8 million in EPA funding, part of which supports recycling education and outreach over the next three years.
• Fort Worth is one year into operation of the new WM recycling facility, which opened in October 2025.
• The city will celebrate America Recycles Month in November and America Recycles Day on November 15, 2026. A city-hosted celebration will take place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at La Gran Plaza and Hewland Mall, featuring interactive displays, touch-a-truck events, and WM and Republic Services trucks, in partnership with library, parks, property management, and mall partners.
• Whittenburg said a proclamation declaring November as America Recycles Month and November 15 as America Recycles Day is scheduled for the October 27 work session.
• Council Member Lauersdorf asked about styrofoam recycling capability in Hillshire. Whittenburg explained that a grant-funded pilot accepts styrofoam at drop-off stations and processes it into blocks at the city's ECC, but when the processing machine is down there is a lag; he agreed to circle back on the issue.
• Council Member Beck asked whether mirrors could be recycled. Whittenburg replied that the mirror's shiny coating makes the glass difficult to recycle, though repurposing partners such as the Wellman Project may reuse it.
• Council Member Lauersdorf thanked Environmental Services for supporting a recent touch-a-truck event, describing the claw truck demonstration as 'by far the coolest thing there.'

Litter Cleanup Events and Staff Recognition

• Whittenburg described litter abatement work across the city, including 11 citywide crews and 2 highway crews, street sweeping, illegal dumping cleanup, campsite and nuisance abatement, and dead animal pickup.
• A new UpSpire crew launched the week of the meeting, focused on high-traffic areas, entertainment corridors, and commercial corridors. Two new street sweepers have been ordered, with expected delivery in 12 to 18 months.
• Staff recognized at the meeting included Assistant Director Wendy Turpin, Superintendent Neil Johnson, and supervisors Robert Collins, Justin Smith, Ronnie Smith, and JP Inojosa.
• Upcoming events include the Neighborhood Litter Stomp, scheduled 8 to 11 a.m. on the weekend following the meeting; participants can register for free t-shirts, grabbers, supplies, bags, and drop-off vouchers.
• A Tire Takeback event will be held 8 a.m. to noon at the South Side Community Center, formerly the Hazel Harvey Center for Neighborhoods, open to Fort Worth residents only and excluding tires from commercial businesses.
• Planned fiscal year 2027 cleanup events include events at Sylvania Park, another event at Hazel Harvey/South Side Community Center, a citywide American Cowtown American Cleanup Day event in April, and events in Handley Meadowbrook and Lake Como.
• Neil Johnson was honored for 22 years of service before his retirement in December. Whittenburg credited Johnson with expanding the UpSpire program from 3 to 19 crews, growing the street sweeping program to 12 pieces of fleet, developing routes and corridors with GIS, and building partnerships with NTTA and TxDOT. Johnson thanked the team and said he would continue working through the end of December.

Key Outcomes

• No formal council votes were taken; the two briefings were informational.
• No requests for future discussion topics were made, and no executive session was required.
• The committee adjourned at 2:23 p.m.