Curbside recycling soon will be coming to Springfield, after city council members approved an amendment in their garbage collection contract to include recycling service.

Under the new contract with Waste Management, trash pickup will be cut from twice a week to once a week and recycling will be picked up every other week. Russ Hightower of Waste Management said he did not know right now what day of the week recycling will be picked up.

“That depends on the truck availability,” he said.

Hightower also said it appears April 1 is a good target date to start the curbside recycling.

“It really depends on the cart manufacturer,” he said, adding it typically takes 90 days to get the new carts ready to deliver to households.

The city conducted a pilot program last year that was well received by residents. Recycling will be single stream, meaning residents will not have to separate items such as paper, glass or aluminum.

Even with the addition of the recycling program, Bennett said the cost of garbage service to Springfield residents will not change. It will remain $16 per month, even though the charge for the sanitation trucks’ diesel fuel has risen from $3.16 a gallon to $3.50 a gallon.

Council members also may have a revised city charter to adopt soon. The charter has to be sent to the General Assembly and introduced by the local delegation, prior to approval by the state lawmakers.

“We have plenty of time,” said City Manager Brett Bennett. “It can go anytime during the General Assembly session.”

This year’s session began Jan. 9 and there are 35 legislative days left. Legislators had Monday off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and are in budget hearings for the remainder of the week.

The most distinctive changes in the charter have to do with the city manager’s position and duties.

“I hope to have a copy everyone is happy with at the next meeting,” Bennett said.