Commission directs staff to pursue consolidated waste plan for Aggieville, seeks hauler proposals

The City Commission directed staff to pursue a consolidated waste and grease-collection plan for the Aggieville commercial district and to issue a request for qualifications to select a hauler and provider to help design and test collection options. Jason, a city staff member presenting the plan, said the project would test centrally located compactors or other collection methods to reduce on-street dumpsters and grease bins in the alleys.

Why it matters: Aggieville’s narrow alleys and heavy pedestrian use have produced complaints about odors, overflowing containers and safety concerns. Consolidating collection could reduce alley clutter and recurring operational costs, but will require equipment, service agreements and property-owner cooperation.

City staff told commissioners the 2017 Aggieville vision recommended consolidating trash and grease to improve alleys and that a 2021 analysis identified about 80 trash-and-recycling containers and 10–15 grease containers in the district. Jason said the city currently sees six to seven different waste or grease collectors serving the area and prefers to engage a local hauler familiar with Aggieville to develop workable collection scenarios.

Jason described a phased approach. Phase 1 would be information gathering and scenario modeling with a selected hauler. If the analysis supports moving forward, Phase 2 would include purchase and installation of equipment and a multiyear service agreement. Staff gave a prior estimate of roughly $1.2 million to $1.4 million for creating the compacted-collection environment (not including the compactors themselves or ongoing service fees). Jason said those figures and service costs would be refined in the RFQ responses and presented back to the commission before any purchase.

Staff proposed up to five potential collection locations where property owners have expressed some willingness to cooperate, including an alley behind a new Hampton hotel, a Handy Corner site, property near Little Morro, and a district site near Starbucks and a food truck location. Jason said several of those sites are private property and would require owner agreements.

On operations and user access, commissioners raised concerns about distances staff or business employees would have to move refuse, safety for employees carrying trash late at night and the potential visual appeal of overhead wiring. Jason said the city prefers wheeled carts or other assisted-lift technologies to avoid dragging bags through alleys and that the first alley renovation planned between 12th Street and North Manhattan will include improved lighting. He also said the Riley County Police Department already places cameras on many light poles and that security measures and locking options for compactors will be considered.

Financing options staff discussed included using transit gas tax funds allocated to Aggieville and downtown, rolling consolidated service into Business Improvement District (BID) fees (which the commission adopts by ordinance each October), or other mixes of private and public financing. Jason said he anticipated returning draft RFQ language to the commission and then taking proposals, conducting interviews and making a recommendation to the commission in November; he said Phase 1 work could be completed in a few months with a recommendation early in 2026.

Public comment: Jacob Stoltz of 4514 Freeman Road said he preferred the existing overhead wiring appearance and described the wires as “kind of charming,” while acknowledging alleys need to be cleaner and more pedestrian friendly.

Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to include outreach to the Aggieville Business Association (ABA) and business owners as part of the RFQ Phase 1 tasks. Staff will issue the RFQ, evaluate proposals, interview finalists and return with a recommendation and refined cost and operations data before the commission approves any equipment purchase or service contract.