ATTLEBORO -- The city's tempest in a trash barrel that's been raging for more than a week appears to be on the wane, with health officials and city councilors agreeing to give residents one more chance to comply with pay-as-you-throw rules before the trash ordinance is enforced to the letter.

After city councilors and health officials hammered away at each other for almost two hours at city hall Tuesday night, they hammered out an agreement to allow a grace period starting today and running through next Wednesday.

During that period, all trash will be picked up even if it violates the rules. However it's the last time, councilors and health officials agreed.

Trash will be taken and warnings will be left.

Starting next Thursday though, trash won't be picked up unless it falls within prescribed limits. The move comes after more than a week of complaints from residents whose trash was left on the curb because they have failed to use barrels that were the regulation 36-gallon size, or less.

Health officials began the crackdown last week after months of complaints from law-abiding neighbors.

While reports appeared in the newspaper prior to the crackdown, councilors slammed health officials for not providing residents with enough warning.

They also slammed health officials for inconsistency in enforcement and for confusing the public by mistakenly putting incorrect information on the health department Web site.

Most councilors agreed with Council President Barry LaCasse, who objected to the seemingly-sudden crackdown.

`` What I'm questioning is the draconian way in which it's being enforced,'' he told health officials. `` It would have been a better practice to sticker the barrel, and say next week we won't pick it up.''

Councilor Kim Allard said her neighbors have used larger than that allowed barrels for months and were shocked when pickup abruptly stopped last week.

Allard admitted to using a larger than regulation barrel, arguing that Health Agent Jim Mooney said residents didn't need to change their barrels at the beginning of the program -- something Mooney denies.

Seven months into the program, nothing happened to change that opinion -- until last week, she said.

`` I never once got a warning until last week,'' she said. `` You didn't give people enough warning.'' But Mooney argued that warnings were given time and again, and it was time to act.

`` I had to do something,'' Mooney said.

He said he was motivated by law-abiding pay-as-you-throw participants who called his office for months complaining about scofflaw neighbors who didn't recycle and disregarded limits on barrel size and other rules.

`` The people out there are sick and tired of seeing their neighbors not recycling and putting out eight bags and getting it picked up,'' he said.

The program was instituted in July.

It charges a $204 fee to each household and allows each household to put out one 36-gallon barrel or bag of trash for free. Additional trash must be put in special city bags that cost $1.50 each.

After next Thursday, the limits will be strictly enforced, councilors and health officials said.

Mooney estimates compliance with the program at 91 percent, based on warnings passed out over the last two weeks.

In the end, Mooney and Health Officer Dr. Christopher Quinn agreed enforcement could have been handled differently.

`` In retrospect, I could have fined them or provided another warning,'' said Mooney, who apologized for all the confusion and hoopla.

And councilors, while critical of the enforcement furor of the past two weeks, strongly supported the program.

LaCasse praised Mooney, Quinn and Solid Waste Administrator Cheryl Perry for the programs financial success.

`` I'd support this program again in a heartbeat,'' he said. `` It's been very successful.''

Mayor Kevin Dumas appeared at the beginning of the meeting to back the health department and the program.

He said pay-as-you-throw is on track to come in $81,000 under budget, which could mean a rate cut of at least $6 next year.

Dumas said the estimate is `` conservative'' and that other savings could be realized in the cost of special city bags.

The program was begun with the aim of reducing trash disposal costs by lowering tonnage through increased recycling.

Trash tonnage is down 30 percent and the recycling rate has doubled, Dumas said.

`` This program has been a success and I urge you to continue to show support for this worthy cause,'' he said.