For residents, the immediate change is practical: households must use the new Frontier carts and follow the new collection schedule. Waste Management may continue collecting its carts during the transition, which the city says could take several weeks. However, Waste Management carts placed at the curb after Aug. 3 will not be emptied by Frontier.

What the new service includes

Universal City residents receive household-trash pickup twice a week and recycling pickup once a week. The service also includes weekly brush and bulk collection at the curb, subject to a four-cubic-yard limit.

Frontier began distributing new trash and recycling carts in July. The city’s contract requires new waste and recycling carts for residential units, making the cart exchange part of the citywide transition rather than an optional equipment change.

Residents are required to return their Waste Management carts. Because the old carts will not be emptied by Frontier after the service change, households should use the Frontier carts for collection once they receive them and follow the city’s instructions for returning the former provider’s equipment.

Contract and provider details

The city’s municipal solid-waste documents establish the initial contract period from Aug. 3, 2026, through July 31, 2031. The procurement and contract materials cover residential, commercial, construction and industrial waste and recycling services, but the city’s transition notice describes the new pickup frequencies in this article for residential service. The approved materials do not establish that commercial customers have the same collection schedule.

The city says Frontier was acquired by GFL Environmental. That acquisition does not change Universal City’s contract, according to the city’s residential service information.

The city’s materials do not state the final household billing rate or whether rates changed from Waste Management’s prior service. Residents with service questions can contact Frontier at 210-807-8555. City utility billing is listed at 210-619-0713.

The transition’s next known step is the continued collection and return of Waste Management carts while the changeover proceeds. The city has not stated that every new cart delivery is complete, and its notice says old-cart collection may take several weeks.

Five-year contract covers incorporated Universal City

The city selected Frontier through a competitive procurement process. The contract grants Frontier the exclusive right and duty, to the extent allowed by law, to collect and transport waste and recyclable materials from residential, commercial and industrial customers within Universal City’s incorporated limits.

The initial contract term runs from August 3, 2026, through July 31, 2031. By written agreement, the city and Frontier may add two additional two-year extension terms. The city’s request for proposals identified the same initial term and extension structure.

The City Council awarded the contract on March 17, according to Community Impact. A June 17 town hall was informational only: its official notice said no votes, decisions or other governmental actions would be taken at the meeting.

Residents should return Waste Management carts

Universal City says residents should continue using Waste Management carts until those carts are serviced and removed on their regular collection days. If trash and recycling are collected on different days, the old carts may be removed separately. Some households may briefly have both old and new carts at the curb during the transition.

Beginning August 3, Frontier will not empty Waste Management carts. Residents should use the Frontier-provided carts instead:

• Yellow lid: household trash
• Blue lid: recycling

The city has not stated that every cart exchange is complete as of August 5, so residents should follow the city’s transition instructions if an old cart remains scheduled for pickup.

Trash, recycling, brush and bulk schedules

Frontier’s service pattern includes household trash pickup twice each week, recycling pickup once each week, and brush and bulk pickup once each week. Brush and bulk collection is limited to four cubic yards per collection, which the city describes as approximately the size of a refrigerator.

Collection days may change under the new routes. Residents should enter their address in the city’s collection-day tool or use Frontier’s mobile app to check trash, recycling and bulk-and-brush schedules.

Set carts out by 7 a.m.

Universal City and Frontier instruct residents to place carts at the curb or a paved alley by 7 a.m. on collection day. The wheels should face the curb, with the handle facing the home, and carts should be at least three feet from vehicles, mailboxes, other carts and other obstructions. The city says trash must be bagged, tied and contained with the lid closed.

Recyclables should be clean, empty and loose rather than placed in plastic bags. The city’s accepted materials include aluminum beverage cans; plastic bottles numbered 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7; glass bottles and jars; steel and tin cans; paper; boxboard; and cardboard. Plastic bags, food waste, soiled paper, Styrofoam, yard waste and other listed prohibited items do not belong in the recycling cart.

Brush, hazardous waste and special items

Contractor-generated tree and landscaping debris is excluded from the city’s residential brush service. The contract also excludes brush resulting from commercial service providers, including paid tree-trimming and tree-removal companies.

For residential brush, the contract says limbs should be no longer than four feet and no more than four inches in diameter. The total weight of any stack, bag, bundle or container may not exceed 40 pounds. The city’s FAQ says no bundling is required, while Frontier’s service page says limbs must be bundled. Because the two instructions differ, residents should confirm the applicable preparation rule with Frontier before setting out brush.

Appliances containing freon, including refrigerators, require certified freon removal and an attached certification tag before collection.

Household hazardous waste must not go in either cart. Universal City’s current residential-waste page links residents to an online scheduling page for a pickup listed for August 10, 2026. Chemicals, paint, oils, corrosive or flammable materials and other hazardous items require the city’s designated handling process. Electronics and sharps may also require special handling.

Where residents can report problems

Frontier handles missed service and damaged-cart reports at 210-807-8555. Universal City directs residents with billing questions and requests for extra carts to its utility-billing department at 210-619-0713. The city says any additional-cart fee and taxes are added to the monthly utility bill; this article does not assume that the base residential rate changed.

With the new contract only two days into its initial service period, cart-exchange completion, route performance and the conflicting brush-bundling instructions remain matters for residents and the city to monitor.

Sources

• Universal City Residential Waste Services and FAQ
• Frontier Waste Solutions Universal City service page
• Community Impact report on the contract award

The ballot is straightforward at the top: Mayor Tom Maxwell is unopposed. The council side is more competitive, with four candidates running for three at-large seats. That means voters are choosing the next council lineup even though the mayor’s race does not include a challenger.

County lines affect where some residents vote

For Universal City voters, the most important practical detail is the county line. The city spans both Bexar and Guadalupe counties, so residents need to confirm which county they live in before heading to a polling place.

That matters because early voting locations are county-run, not citywide. On the Bexar County side, Universal City Library is listed as an early-voting site. Guadalupe County residents should use their county’s election information instead of assuming the same location applies to everyone in the city.

Early turnout at Universal City Library is already building

Bexar County’s early-vote counts show several hundred ballots have already been cast at the Universal City Library site as of April 23. That is only a mid-window snapshot, but it gives a local read on participation before Election Day.

For residents heading out to vote, the key step is simple: verify both your county and your polling place before leaving home. Universal City voters who live in Bexar County can use the county’s early-voting schedule and count updates, while Guadalupe County residents should rely on their county elections page for the correct site and hours.

The race itself is not a result story yet. It is an election-week reminder that Universal City’s mayoral contest is uncontested, the council race is active, and county boundaries still determine where many residents cast their ballot.

Sources

• Universal City May 2026 General Election page
• Bexar County early voting locations and hours PDF
• Bexar County early vote counts
• Guadalupe County May 2, 2026 elections page
• Universalcitytexas
• Universalcitytexas

A new H‑E‑B project on Interstate 10 near Schertz is moving ahead, and Universal City shoppers are squarely in its service area. Recent filings show the development is roughly a 21 million dollar investment with a 125,000 plus square foot store and a separate convenience store, fuel station and car wash now under construction.

The add on buildings, totaling nearly 6,000 square feet, are expected to wrap up around October 2026, with the main store targeted for completion in November 2026. The site sits across the highway from a new Bill Miller Bar B Q in Converse and about six miles from the existing H‑E‑B on Kitty Hawk, giving northeast corridor residents another option for groceries and fuel once it opens.

City business: Long term trash and recycling contract

At City Hall, work continues on a major contract that will shape trash and recycling service for years. Universal City is seeking bids for a comprehensive Municipal Solid Waste Services agreement covering residential, commercial, construction and industrial customers.

The proposed contract would begin August 3, 2026 and run through July 31, 2031, with options for two additional two year extensions. Bids are due Wednesday, February 18 at 2 p.m., and an addendum published this week clarified that collection trucks starting the new contract must each be no more than four years old. City staff plan to interview finalists in early March and take a recommended provider to council later that month.

Community events: Snowfest and 55 plus fashion show ahead

Looking a bit beyond the 48 hour window, the city has rolled out fresh details on several big community events. Universal City Snowfest & Carnival is set for Saturday, February 21 at Veterans Park, with a record number of food trucks and vendors expected on site.

Local country artist Josh Varnes, a Samuel Clemens graduate who recently signed a record deal, is slated to headline the Snowfest stage the evening of February 21 and plans a special song for Clemens students and alumni. The city is emphasizing that Snowfest remains a budget friendly, family oriented event despite its growth.

For residents 55 and older, a separate fashion show style fundraiser is planned at Olympia Hills Golf and Event Center on April 28 from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring local leaders and longtime community members on the runway. The event includes dinner and is being promoted as a playful way to spotlight active older adults while supporting senior programming.

Looking ahead

Between new regional retail on the horizon, a competitive trash contract process and a packed late February event calendar, Universal City residents have plenty to watch over the coming weeks.

Sources

• https://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/heb-san-antonio-converse-21333235.php
• https://www.universalcitytexas.gov/1432/Municipal-Solid-Waste-Services
• https://www.universalcitytexas.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/663
• https://www.universalcitytexas.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/662
• https://www.universalcitytexas.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/664