The Walled Lake City Council voted unanimously to authorize the city manager to execute a three-year extension of the city’s solid waste, yard waste and recycling collection contract with Green For Life (GFL).

The resolution (2023-95) approves an extension beginning July 1 after the current contract ends June 30, continuing all existing services and applying a one-time rate increase in year one followed by two annual adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index in years two and three. Council member John Osenic introduced the resolution and the roll-call vote was unanimous in favor.

Mike Sapo, general manager of the Resource Recovery and Recycling Authority of Southwest Oakland County, framed the proposal as a way to preserve service quality and cost-efficiency. "Your administration has kept a very, very sharp pencil over the years, and we think that the proposal that's on your agenda tonight will allow that service level to continue and that cost effectiveness to continue," Sapo said. He presented benchmarking data showing Walled Lake’s household expenditures on solid-waste services well below many peers.

Sapo and GFL representatives said the price proposal would amount to about a 13% increase over current spending (as presented by RRRA) and that the resulting household cost would be approximately $184.20 per household per year, or roughly $15.35 per month. Sapo described the contract structure: a one-time rate adjustment at the start of the extension and CPI-based changes in the subsequent two years.

Council members asked about alternatives and future efficiencies such as automated cart collection. Sapo said switching to carts and automated pickup can reduce labor and route time but noted carts are not right for every household; he recommended keeping the option under discussion during the contract term. He also described recent procurement experience in nearby communities, noting that incumbent GFL remained the low bidder in at least one recent competitive process.

Council discussion was brief and favorable. Several members praised GFL’s current service and supported the extension without a full competitive bid process. Council member Casey Ambrose moved to accept the proposal; the motion was seconded and then approved by roll call.

The resolution directs the city manager to execute the "Solid Waste, Yard Waste, Recycling Collection and Disposal Agreement and Extension" with Green For Life; the contract implementation and any future operational changes (for example, a transition to carts) would come back for council consideration as needed.

Ending: The city manager will execute the extension per the approved resolution; the contract will take effect July 1 and remain on the council’s radar for operational updates and any future procurement decisions.