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Committee directs short‑term support for recycling crew and requests parallel cost studies and long‑term plan
Summary
Committee voted to pursue near‑term recruitment/retention premiums for recycling staff, asked staff to solicit price quotes from private haulers, and directed a parallel city cost estimate and a fall plan to assess possible consolidation of solid‑waste services.
BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee moved to authorize short‑term recruitment and retention measures for the city’s recycling crew, asked staff to seek price quotes for a contracted hauler, and directed staff to prepare a parallel, fully loaded cost estimate of a municipally operated recycling program and to return with a proposed long‑term plan by November 2025.
Committee members framed the action as an attempt to resolve an immediate staffing and morale crisis while gathering the information needed to make a longer‑term policy decision.
During a lengthy discussion, City staff presented a memo that described short‑term, medium‑term and long‑term steps. Short term: staff recommended a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the union to provide temporary premium pay for recycling work while recruitment and refinements proceed. Medium term: staff proposed issuing a request for price quotes to area haulers for 3–5 year contracted operations while simultaneously developing a fully loaded city cost estimate to operate the program internally. Long term: staff proposed convening a multi‑stakeholder evaluation of consolidated collection models (municipal or private) and returning to council with a scope, budget and timeline for that review by the fall.
Union president Colby De Laer (ASPEAN local 1343) described recycling work as physically demanding, said the recycling crew historically served as an entry point into the city workforce and said the current staffing shortage has left the remaining crew burned out. "We're not getting those new hires at the door," Colby told the committee. "This has become a perfect storm of burnout that we just cannot sustain." Colby said the union is not asking to end the city program but wants it put on a stable footing and, if necessary, transferred out of the street‑maintenance division.
Staff and councilors acknowledged the program's value and said the committee's motion was intended to buy time and create a data set for a policy decision. Chair Mark Barlow indicated support for the short‑term MOA and for the medium‑term parallel study so the council will have both municipal and private cost comparisons. Committee members asked staff to return with detailed cost estimates, the procurement document (RFPQ) and a recommended decision timeline so the council could act promptly on the results.
The committee vote approved moving forward with the short‑term MOA and with the medium‑term parallel procurement and cost study; staff said they will return with a proposed long‑term scope and timeline by November 2025. No specific dollar figures were approved in committee; staff said exact costs will be presented to the council when available.
Ending: staff will draft the MOA for council consideration (target May 12), issue the RFPQ for haulers and produce a city cost estimate; staff will also return with a proposed timeline and scope for a fall 2025 consolidated‑collection evaluation.
