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Everman staff to negotiate with Waste Connections after resident survey shows broad satisfaction
Summary
City staff presented a citizen survey and options for the municipal trash franchise; council gave direction to negotiate a new agreement with Waste Connections rather than run an open RFP, with staff to return in February or March with pricing and options and to advertise a public hearing.
City staff briefed the Everman City Council on the upcoming franchise negotiation for residential garbage, waste and recycling service on Jan. 14 and sought direction on whether to open a competitive request for proposals or negotiate with the incumbent, Waste Connections.
Staff said a mid-December citizen survey (51 responses) showed generally strong satisfaction with current service: 47% rated services "excellent," 41% "good," and 11% "fair"; two responses (about 1% of respondents) reported "poor." The survey showed 86% of respondents favored twice-weekly pickup (the current schedule) and 81% said they use the provided recycling service weekly. Staff noted 75% of respondents preferred the city's current take-all curb service, which allows residents to place up to 4 cubic yards of bundled material at the curb for pickup; staff also said take-all is the most expensive collection option.
Staff outlined tradeoffs: an open RFP could attract lower prices but requires more staff and attorney time to prepare, publish and evaluate proposals; negotiating with the incumbent could preserve service continuity, especially given recent management improvements at Waste Connections. Staff said Waste Connections had sought a larger increase last year (a cited 16%), but the city rejected that and enforced an 8% contractual limit.
After discussion and public comments, the council indicated a consensus direction for staff to negotiate with Waste Connections and return with proposed options and rates for council consideration, aiming to present proposals in February and finalize in late February or early March. Staff recommended publishing a public hearing before adoption to allow broader public input and to correct misinformation; staff also said it will confirm contract details such as the existing free-dump allowance (frequency reported in comments but to be verified in contract language).
A resident recommended the city operate its own recycling pick-up and use a grappling device for limbs to reduce bundling requirements; staff and several councilmembers noted operational tradeoffs. Staff emphasized the importance of selecting a provider with responsive management and said they will share Waste Connections' survey responses with the company.
The council did not take a formal ordinance vote on the franchise at this meeting; staff will return with negotiated options or RFP results per the direction given.
