The City Council on Tuesday agreed to renew the $100,000 annual contract with Waterhouse Public Relations for bringing attention to the city's recycling program.
Lee Norris, deputy city public works administrator, said, "It's working. Our recycling numbers are definitely up."
He said over about a year's time, those using the recycling dropoff center on Access Road went from 795 to 2,058 in a month and at the Patten Center in Lookout Valley went from 370 to over 2,000 per month.
He said from 9,000 to 9,500 residents are taking advantage of curbside recycling.
About an equal number are going to the recycling dropoff centers, he said.
The city moved from once a week to once a month curbside recycling.