Last year, Comal County commissioners voted to shutter a wildly popular, decades-old remote recycling program for residents who live in unincorporated Comal County.
Six outlying recycling centers in Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Spring Branch and Garden Ridge closed Dec. 31, 2024.
Commissioners will reconsider that decision during a special presentation at their weekly meeting Thursday.
“Even before my first day in office, many of you have voiced concern about the discontinuance of the longstanding remote recycling program,” said Pct. 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock, who represents the south side of Canyon Lake. “I am happy to report that the cost analysis of the current program and variants that could be considered by Commissioners Court will be discussed on Thursday, May 15.”
During his 2024 campaign, Leecock said the county needed to take a closer look at the numbers to determine whether the program should be reinstated.
In August 2024, County Judge Sherman Krause, then-Precinct 1 Commissioner Donna Eccleston, and Pct. 2 Commissioner Scott Haag voted in favor of Krause’s motion to eliminate recycling sites so employees could be redeployed to the Road Department.
The vote followed hundreds of angry emails, phone calls, and speeches by constituents who attended two public hearings to voice their support for remote recycling.
Pct. 4 Commissioner Jen Crownover, who represents the north side of Canyon Lake, also vehemently opposed Krause’s motion, calling it a travesty.
She was joined by Pct. 3 Commissioner Kevin Webb, who said he didn’t understand why the county wanted to do away with a popular and successful program.
Crownover warned that eliminating remote recycling centers would result in more illegal dumping, garbage hoarding, more trash in county landfills, burning on private property and increased litter on roadways and neighborhoods, especially in areas surrounding Canyon Lake.
“Getting rid of this opportunity will create apathy in stewardship of resources on an individual level,” she said.
“Sometimes actions taken on this court are ministerial,” Crownover continued. “This is not one of those. An overwhelming amount of folks are begging to continue this wonderfully successful and beloved program.”
Haag disagreed, saying recycling is not in the county’s job description and recycling trucks are expensive He added the county pays in excess of $100,000 per year to send recyclables to the Materials Recovery Facility in San Antonio.
