Public Works Recommends Council Approve Contract with Advanced Disposal
At the Tuesday, September 5 meeting of the Board of Public Works, members approved a refuse and recycling contract with Advanced Disposal, the City’s current provider. Discussions on this topic began earlier this year (read all about it here).
According to Public Works Director Dan Knoeck, the biggest change under the new contract will be the use of automated carts supplied by the vendor, rather than owner-supplied containers. In addition, collection of recyclables will go to every other week. Garbage collection will remain weekly.
“The biggest benefit to the City is the significant cost savings with the new system,” said Knoeck. “The residents benefit in that containers used for collection will be provided by the vendor.”
“Residents will all receive new garbage and recycling containers and will have the option of three different sizes; 35 gallon, which is similar to a standard garbage can, 65 gallon, and 95 gallon. The carts have a stay-on lid that helps reduce windblown litter and keeps animals out,” he added. “The carts also have wheels that make them easier to move than standard garbage cans without wheels. Recycling will continue to be single stream with all recyclable material co-mingled in the same container.”
Once the contract is approved, the City will be working with the cart vendor to set a schedule for delivery.
“We intend to have the various size carts available for viewing at City Hall so residents can choose the size they want,” said Knoeck. “The cart vendor will send a mailing to each resident who will then be able to make their selection by either returning a post card or providing the information on-line. Our goal is to have carts distributed before the end of the year.”
Based on the experiences of other communities, Knoeck anticipates a smooth and beneficial transition to the new system.
“Many communities have successfully made the transition to automated carts with every other week recycling collection. While there will likely be some challenges, we fully expect our program to be a success as well,” he said. “When the Board of Public Works first started talking about this change, we initially considered just one size cart, 95 gallon, for all residents. This did generate some concern as not all homes generate enough waste and recycling for a cart of that size. By offering multiple cart sizes, residents can select the option that works best for them based on their household and the space they have available.”
Knoeck encourages any residents with questions to contact his office at (715) 387-8424, or e-mail him here.
Council Preview of September 12 Meeting
City of Marshfield Memorandum
Find the original memo on the City website here, or read below:
BACKGROUND
Our current refuse and recycling contract expires on December 31, 2017. On July 5, 2017, the Board of Public Works approved a Request for Proposals (RFP) and authorized staff to solicit proposals for these services, to become effective January 1, 2018. Two proposals were received and opened on August 17, 2017, one from our current provider, Advanced Disposal, and one from Express Disposal of Thorp, WI.
ANALYSIS
The RFP asked for pricing on a variety of options, including 5, 7, and 10 year contracts, as well as manual collection (our current process), automated carts (3 sizes), and automated carts with bi-weekly recycling collection. The RFP also included operation of a yard waste site and curbside collection of brush and branches consistent with our current contract.
Staff spent a considerable amount of time reviewing the pricing and comparing the alternatives. In the end, we find the most cost beneficial option to be a 10 year contract using automated cart collection with bi-weekly pick up of recycling. The attached bar graph shows a comparison between the various 10 year contract options.
Key elements of the Advanced Disposal Proposal Include:
- Savings of $56,700 in the first year, $41,200 in the second year, and $25,600 in the third year over 2017 costs.
- By 2021, we would be back to paying about what we are paying in 2017 for these services.
- A modest 1.9% per year increase over the life of the contract (the previous contract was approximately 3.0% per year).
- Choice of 3 cart sizes, 35 gallon, 65 gallon and 96 gallon, with a survey website to allow residents to choose their cart preferences, if they desire.
- Monday through Thursday regular collection schedule, allowing for Friday pick up during holiday weeks rather than Saturday pick up.
- Continued operation of yard waste site and transfer station that residents are accustomed to.
- Continued curbside collection of yard waste, brush & branches and Christmas trees.Recognizing that the change from owner supplied containers to automated carts is significant, the Board may want to consider retaining weekly collection of recyclables, so as not to introduce additional confusion at this time. Bi-weekly collection of recyclables could be reconsidered in the future through a contract amendment.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a 10-year contract with Advanced Disposal for Refuse and Recycling Services in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposals and the proposal submitted by Advance dated August 17, 2017, and authorize execution of the contract.
UPDATE 9/13/17: Common Council approved the contract.
