Committee sends Senate Bill 1073 on solid-waste franchising to general orders after stakeholder amendment

The House Local Government Committee voted to send Senate Bill 1073 to general orders after the bill’s sponsor and affected stakeholders agreed on amendment language clarifying how cities may define temporary, project-specific solid-waste containers.

Senator Ben Adams, senator from District 12 in Nampa, told the committee the bill “addresses solid waste disposal” and is intended to preserve room for small haulers to serve temporary or project-specific needs within cities that otherwise may franchise permanent curbside service. “Any person can hire whoever they want to take temporary project specific trash,” Adams said while describing the change the bill would allow.

The amendment the committee considered reinserts language about franchises being awarded by “exclusive or nonexclusive means” and adds that containers qualifying as “temporary and project specific” may be defined by city ordinance. Adams said those two edits respond to stakeholder concerns that removing the “exclusive or nonexclusive” phrase could be interpreted to require cities to contract with multiple firms for permanent curbside service.

Municipal and industry witnesses testified in support. Jonathan Wheatley, deputy director of the Association of Idaho Cities, said the association “support[s] the amended language as is.” Chad Gordon, representing J and M Sanitation, said his small, family-owned refuse company that contracts with Kuna and Middleton supports the amendment. Joe McKiddish, representing Blue Collar Connect, said his group of trades and contractor businesses “are definitely in support of this bill,” citing the need for quick dumpster turnover and competitive pricing. Dan Strunk, representing Dumpster, said he also supports the bill as written.

Representative Cheatham, a former Pocatello City Council member, offered a brief endorsement of sanitation services, saying, “the one department I've never heard a complaint from is sanitation,” and thanked haulers for their work.

Committee members raised technical questions about the amendment’s text and its appearance on the legislative website; Senator Adams walked members through the specific lines being changed, noting where the amendment restores the exclusive/nonexclusive phrasing and where it inserts the city-ordinance qualification for temporary containers. After discussion and the submission plan for the amendment, the committee took a voice vote to send the bill to general orders. Committee leadership recorded the ayes and no opposition was stated on the record.

The committee did not take a roll-call vote or record a numeric tally. The committee indicated the amendment language will be formally submitted before the bill returns to the floor for further consideration.