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Republic Services outlines route optimization, customer tools and EV truck plan for Redmond
Summary
Republic Services presented operations and performance data and outlined a 2025 plan centered on route optimization, stronger customer communications, a Recycler Plus subscription service and a phased transition to electric collection trucks.
Valerie Taylor, Redmond’s billing and collections manager, introduced a Republic Services presentation on service performance and 2025 priorities, noting Republic is pursuing an intergovernmental agreement with Deschutes County for franchise administration.
Erica Heitzma, Republic’s Central Oregon general manager, described the company’s local leadership and introduced operations manager Tim Long and municipal manager Courtney Voss. Courtney told council Republic’s current franchise runs to 2032 and staff are beginning negotiations with the county and city on a coordinated franchise agreement; she said the parties were aiming for implementation timelines that could include a July 1 effective date if agreement terms are reached.
Service performance and root causes: Republic reported an increase in reported residential missed pickups of about 67 calls year‑over‑year while also providing roughly 15,000 additional services; commercial missed services showed an 18% year‑over‑year reduction. “There is a root cause analysis for us to determine why we are seeing missed pickups,” Voss said, and supervisors use daily reports to identify driver training, routing gaps or map updates as typical causes.
Operational improvements and customer tools: Republic said it will pursue a route‑balancing (reroute) project to optimize routes in response to growth, maintain a “plus‑one” staffing buffer to reduce service impacts from turnover, and expand customer communications. The company plans to roll out a residential “find my truck” feature in the app and to increase email notifications; staff said the Redmond division’s Net Promoter Score is “around the forties” and improving.
Policy and billing changes: Republic told council it will transition residential customers to every‑other‑month billing (industry standard) with options to assist customers who need monthly statements; the company plans a phased customer communication campaign in the coming months.
Programs and fleet: Republic described a subscription “Recycler Plus” service for hard‑to‑recycle items (textiles, batteries, clamshells, polystyrene) — a subscription option with a $10 monthly base and $5 per pickup — and said the Bend trial was successful. The company confirmed plans to introduce electric collection vehicles in Redmond, with the first EV truck expected in the division in 2026 following a 2025 rollout of preparatory work.
Costs drivers: Republic identified labor, disposal gate rates, recycling‑market volatility, parts/maintenance and fuel as primary cost drivers. The company said recycling modernization at the state level could stabilize some recycling costs and that increased email enrollments reduce communication costs. Councilors asked about staffing stability and the utility cost implications of electrifying trucks; Republic agreed to follow up with more detailed cost comparisons.
Ending: Council and company staff agreed to continue franchise negotiations with the county and pursue operational improvements; no council vote was taken.
