Unlike last year, DeKalb residents will only get their garbage picked up once a week this summer.

The city council decided to leave garbage pickups at once a week for the summer instead of changing designated pickups to twice a week.

City Manager Mark Stevens said the council will change the number of pickups per week “if people show interest.”

“There’s not a strong enough public demand for DeKalb to cover the cost,” said Cameron Davis, administrative assistant of the public works department.

Davis said twice-a-week pickups were necessary last year to accommodate recyclable materials and landscaping waste.

“DeKalb residents have responded so well to the Recycling and Landscape Waste Programs that the amount of refuse being thrown away by residents has been reduced by almost 50 percent,” he said.

The waste reduction in DeKalb has made the need for twice-a-week garbage pickup unnecessary, Davis said.

If the garbage pickup was changed to twice a week during June, July, August and September, each household would pay an extra $1.41 per month or $16.92 per year.

“Since the public has not expressed a need to return to twice-per-week refuse collection, the city cannot justify approving a move toward (it) when the cost per home would increase $16.92 per year,” said Ronald Naylor, director of public works.

Davis said residents who would like twice-a-week collection during the summer months should contact the DeKalb Public Works Department.