Council hears first budget for new Department of Waste Services; $59 million operating request funds staffing, safety and routing technology

Tracy Thurman, director of the newly established Metro Department of Waste Services, presented the department’s first standalone operating budget and outlined steps to expand staffing, safety equipment and routing technology after a period of instability under a private contractor. “This is a significant moment,” Thurman said, adding that 83% of services had been provided by a contract vendor that later went bankrupt and that Metro ramped up in-house operations to restore service.

The department’s proposed operating budget for 2026 is roughly $59,000,000, a $3,600,000 (about 7%) increase over the prior year’s budget, Thurman said. She described priorities funded in the request: increased uniform and personal-protective-equipment allowances, new communications equipment so drivers can reach supervisors while on routes, a planned on-site mechanic for faster fleet maintenance, and route-optimization and telematics technology.

Thurman said the budget provides for an initial phase of new positions to build the department, including frontline collectors and equipment operators, additional field supervision and program managers, compliance inspectors, an HR analyst team, finance and IT staff, and an on-site mechanic. She named several leadership hires: assistant director Eugene McKinney; HR manager Patricia Reed; finance manager Jesse Dillard; safety coordinator Jessica Westbrook; IT manager Eddie Dean; and public information manager Dave Foster.

The department highlighted service and performance metrics: Metro provides weekly curbside trash to about 151,000 residents; 44,824 households receive weekly curbside trash collection in a subset of services; Metro insourced platform routes in November, adding service to roughly 38,000 homes and cited a $4,500,000 savings from those insourced routes this year. Thurman said 48% of trash service is currently handled by Waste Management, 25% by Waste Pro and 27% by Metro. For curbside recycling, the setout rate is 42% and contamination in the recycling stream is about 21% (with plastic bags, batteries and garden hoses commonly cited as contaminants).

Thurman described contracts and disposal costs: the department pays a processing contract for recyclables (about $121.02 per ton) and a transfer/disposal contract that Thurman said now runs about $47.25 per ton; Metro disposed of 64,291 tons last year. She said the current disposal contract ends in June 2027 and that the department will evaluate competition and contracting options once budget and staffing work are complete.

The department reported a successful food-composting pilot: about 43,100 pounds of food diverted, 750 participants and an 84% setout rate. Thurman said diversion and recycling gains have helped reduce landfill tonnage.

Council members raised operational and policy issues: Council Member Gamble asked whether compliance inspectors would address residents who leave carts out after collection days; Thurman said inspectors will work in neighborhoods to educate residents, issue notices and reduce contamination. Council Member Johnson questioned technology choices and overlap between Verizon Connect and Routeware/Zonar telematics; Thurman described Routeware as a solid-waste industry standard for confirmable collection records and said Zonar will be used for electronic DOT inspections of trucks. On the question of rental fleet costs, Thurman said Metro is negotiating an exit strategy with the vendor and that legal and repair inspections were ongoing.

Thurman also told the council the budget increases support safety improvements — vending machines for PPE distribution at facilities, increased uniform allowances and regular vehicle cleaning — and that the department will expand convenience-center supervision and study convenience-center locations and usability. She said a consultant (Barge & Wilmot) is evaluating convenience centers and potential improvements to access and service design.

No formal vote occurred on the budget presentation; council members generally supported the department’s goals and asked staff to return with additional contracting and operational details.