Logansport staff move to clear legacy trash totes after Republic, GFL split; city will arrange backup pickup

Council members raised ongoing refuse collection problems tied to tote exchanges after the municipal contract change.

Council members and staff described a situation in which brown recycling/trash totes still printed with an incumbents’ name (Rumpke) remained at many properties after a contract change. Staff reported Republic (the new contractor) was refusing to collect totes that were marked with the previous contractor’s logo; some crews on the ground were collecting abandoned totes while others were not. City staff told the council they had a contingency plan: contract crews would pick up the legacy totes and the city would deduct the cost from Republic’s contract payments if Republic refused to remove them.

Council members noted residents saw trucks removing old carts in some neighborhoods and asked whether Republic would keep collecting blue recycling carts that bear Republic’s logo; staff said Republic would empty its own labeled blue carts and that the city was working to ensure any uncollected legacy totes would be removed and disposed of promptly. Staff said they were coordinating with an on‑the‑ground crew that had been picking up some legacy totes and that the city attorney and contract representatives were involved to ensure the billing adjustments would be handled appropriately.

Ending: Staff said they would continue to manage collection of legacy totes, coordinate pickup crews and reconcile costs with Republic under the city’s contract terms; council asked staff to communicate with affected residents about collection timing.