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City approves placement of locked compost containers and a new curbside yard‑waste service
Summary
Council approved placement of keyed, bear‑resistant compost containers on city property and authorized a 10‑year curbside yard‑waste contract with Winton LLC; subscription service is priced at $20.95 per month (billed quarterly) with prorated year‑round billing.
The council approved two linked organic‑waste items: a permit and operating agreement allowing Winton LLC to place locked, keyed compost containers on city property for certified community compost participants, and a 10‑year curbside yard‑waste service contract with Winton that will offer door‑to‑door collection April through October with prorated year‑round billing.
Parks staff explained the compost containers (bear‑resistant metal bins) will replace unsecured drop boxes that have been subject to contamination. The containers are key‑coded and will be located at City Hall, Osborne, the 14th Street recycling center and near Glacier parking lot alley access. The design-review board reviewed the container appearance and approved the look. The council unanimously approved the placement agreement.
Separately, a 10‑year curbside yard‑waste agreement with Winton was presented. Under the proposed fee structure customers would pay $20.95 per month, billed quarterly at $62.85; senior discounts (25%) were included in the contract language. The service is seasonal (collections April–October with weekly/biweekly schedules depending on month) but the fee is prorated and billed year‑round to even out costs. Staff and council discussed whether curbside service could replace the city’s recycling‑center yard‑waste drop‑off in the future; staff said that would be a separate community discussion before any closure.
Council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to sign the compost container agreement and then approved the curbside yard‑waste agreement; the yard‑waste contract passed with six votes in favor and one abstention. Councilmembers emphasized compliance practices at the recycling center to prevent non‑residents from using the facility and asked staff to continue community outreach before any future changes to drop‑off operations.
Next steps: Winton will deliver keyed container infrastructure and codes to approved participants; staff will launch subscription enrollment for curbside service and schedule collections starting in spring; staff and council will discuss the future role of the recycling center and public drop‑off options with the community in follow‑up meetings.
