Short of hiring several more code enforcement officers to monitor the day-to-day activities of trash collectors, public works officials said, they will have to rely largely on the public and self-reporting by garbage contractors to oversee compliance.

That was welcome, although not entirely comforting, news for members of the Augusta Commission's engineering services committee who said at their Tuesday meeting that the city needs to hold trash haulers accountable for their service.

"We owe the public some degree of oversight," said Commissioner Steve Shepard. "I think Augusta will get serious about recycling when we start enforcing our provisions."

Tuesday's discussion followed newspaper reports that the city's largest contractor for garbage collection service, CSRA Waste, was mixing recyclables with regular garbage. The company initially denied wrongdoing but later admitted that some trucks were tossing the contents of recycling bins into trucks headed for the landfill.

"Augusta, in terms of a recycling program, doesn't have a very good one. It's easy to abuse it," said City Administrator George Kolb. "Until the community gets serious about recycling, I believe it's going to be fairly ineffective."

"We owe the public some degree of oversight. I think Augusta will get serious about recycling when we start enforcing our provisions." - Commissioner Steve Shepard,

Public Works Director Teresa Smith told commissioners that beginning this month, city haulers will be required to submit monthly recycling reports to her office. Those reports, which will be generated by the individual haulers, should include the amount in tons of recyclables being taken to an appropriate facility and the number and percentage of customers participating in recycling efforts, she said.

In addition to an increase in government oversight, garbage haulers might be the subject of a future criminal investigation.

The Richmond County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that it had received a complaint about possible misconduct by a garbage hauler. Sheriff Ronnie Strength said an investigation has not yet been opened and declined to comment further.

"I'm sure the commission will not tolerate any further abuses by this company or any company of any contract ... in the city of Augusta," said Mayor Bob Young, who placed discussion of the recycling matter on the committee agenda. "We will use every means at our disposal to monitor and enforce any contract with the taxpayers of Augusta."

Reach Heidi Coryell Williams at (706) 823-3215.