COEUR d’ALENE — Fort Grounds resident Bridget Hill was ready to wield sharp words about the trash pickup situation in Coeur d’Alene at the Jan. 21 City Council meeting until a resolution looked more promising mere hours before the meeting. 

After about a month of back-and-forth among the city of Coeur d’Alene, Republic Services, and residents in 82 affected households, trash pickup is back to how it has worked for the last 50 years. 

“This is a move in the right direction,” Hill said. “In fact, it is right down our alley."   

The change, announcing an end to alley pickup, was a sticker posted on trash cans at the end of December. It took effect Jan.1. 

Resident Ken Murphy noted that after the merger between Coeur d’Alene Garbage and Republic Services, the garbage trucks appeared to be the same, but the alleyway was deemed “impassable.” 

“For 14 years, I’ve watched the previous contractor go up and down that alley and never had an issue,“ Murphy said. "What changed?”   

Republic Services/Coeur d’Alene Garbage identified brush and other obstacles in the alley for homeowners to address to resume alley operations between Military and Park drives in the Fort Grounds neighborhood.   

City staff also affixed "No parking” signs at the head of the alley, which Mayor Dan Gookin said Republic Services requested to ensure their trucks can enter and exit the alley safely.    

As of Friday, Republic Services officials, Gookin and residents have confirmed that “garbagegate,” as Hill termed it, has officially come to an end. 

“We worked with the city and residents to trim vegetation and remove obstacles so alleys are safer for our collection trucks to navigate,” Roman Blahoski said. 

Gookin stated that, since he lives in the vicinity, he has been using the HOA to keep residents up to date during discussions. 

“Republic will be servicing all the alleys in the Fort Grounds neighborhood as they have in the past,” Gookin said. 

The mayor intends to issue an announcement reminding residents to perform regular maintenance to keep the alleys behind their homes clean.  

“Trimming branches and keeping obstacles out of the right-of-way will help Republic to continue alley service throughout the city and minimize the risk of damage to private property or their vehicles,” Gookin said. 

    Coeur d'Alene resident Bridget Hill spoke at a Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting on Jan 21 about the trash policy for Fort Grounds. Residents received notice via stickers on trash receptacles that Republic Services would no longer provide alley pickup after Jan. 1.
  

    More than 80 households in Coeur d'Alene were notified in December 2025, shortly before the end of the year, that trash pickup terms were changing due to tight alleyways near their homes. Residents were vocal about the change. Republic Services, the city of Coeur d'Alene, and residents have agreed to keep the system as it has been for the past 50 years.