MUD 18 Newsletter
January – March 2025

 

Best Trash One-Year Anniversary

One year ago, we switched Bentwater’s trash company from Waste Management to Best Trash.  Here is an update on why we switched and how things are going.

At the end of 2023, Waste Management informed us of proposed changes to our contract that we found unacceptable. Because they were switching to an automated pickup, both trash and recycle would have to be in their 96-gallon containers.  Also, we would have been reduced to one trash pickup, one recycle pickup, and one heavy trash pickup per week.  If trash and recycle were not in their bins, they would not be picked up because there was just one employee on the truck – the driver.

The MUD board felt this did not meet the needs of most residents of Bentwater, so we searched for a new provider.  Best Trash gave us a proposal that we felt would work well for our community and would actually be less expensive. We would get two trash pickups and one recycle pickup per week, plus two heavy trash pickups per week.  Both providers required that our new contract include an annual escalation factor based on the relevant CPI index.

Once the provider transition was complete and residents learned the new schedule and procedures, things have been running smoothly. Baring major weather events and normal holiday schedules, trash and recycle have been picked up on a regular basis with no disruptions.  Please remember that when a holiday falls on a regular pickup day, the company will not pick up until the next regularly scheduled pickup day.  The holidays are Christmas, New Year’s, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.  Also, please note that if a storm disaster is declared, Best Trash will not pick up storm debris.

In review, Bentwater’s garbage and heavy trash pickups are on Monday and Thursday, while recycle is picked up on Mondays.  If you bag your recycle items, they must be in a clear plastic bag so the items are visible to the crew.  Otherwise, they might mistake the bag for trash and not pick it up.  If you fill up your recycle bin, extra items can be placed next to the Best Trash bin in carts not over 50 gallons, or bags or boxes weighing no more than 40 pounds.  If the garbage bin is full, an extra cart not over 50 gallons or bags weighing 40 pounds or less can be placed next to it.  It is suggested that the trash and recycle bins be placed on opposite sides of your driveway, when possible, to avoid confusion.  Best Trash begins servicing our neighborhood at 7:00 a.m., so containers must be at the curb by then.

If you have issues with garbage or recycle, the suggested method of communication is to go to the Best Trash website https://best-trash.com/contacts/ and scroll to the bottom of the page to the contact form where you can report missed pick-ups or report damage to your cart.  Best Trash will repair or replace your cart at their discretion.

For detailed information about water, sewer and trash service, please go to the MUD website at https://www.mcmud18.com/

The MUD board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. at the country club and are open to the public.

 

Sign Up for Online eStatements and Bill Pay

Signing up is easy!  There are two ways to do this – online or by calling First Billing.

To sign up, follow these steps:

  • You will need your account number from a recent statement.
  • Go to https://haysnorth.firstbilling.com to the First Billing site, or call (855) 270-3592.
  • Click on “create new account.”
  • Your account number will be a 15-digit number in this exact format: 19908-0123456789.  Everyone in MUD8 has the same first 5 digits (19908), then a dash, then your old 10-digit account number with no dashes. The statement you receive in May will have the new 15 digit account number.
  • Enter your zip code and email information.  Create a user name and password, then confirm your password. You will get an email back which you will need to click on to confirm your email.
  • Sign-in. You can then register for eStatements, pay a bill, set up auto pay, etc.
  • We encourage everyone to sign-up for eStatements so you can get your statements anytime from anywhere. This is free. You will get an email each month when your statement is available. You can also review all of the other bill pay (auto bill pay) options.
  • If you are currently having Hays debit your bank account automatically, this will not change. You do not need to sign up for a new bill pay method. But we would still appreciate it if you would sign up for eStatements.

If you have any other questions about service or billing, please contact the district operator:
Hays Utility North Corporation
Billing address: P.O. Box 1170, Montgomery, Texas 77356
Physical address: 375 Lake Meadows Dr, Montgomery, Texas 77316
Phone: (936) 588-1166

Your MUD Board:

Susan McFarland, President
David Parkhill, Vice President
John Crystal, Treasurer
Rex Cambern, Secretary
Terry Gent, Assistant Secretary