Corcoran — The City Council authorized staff to go out for bids for a new recycling contract and asked staff to analyze whether offering an option for combined refuse and recycling service to a single hauler would save money and reduce road wear.

At the meeting, a council member asked staff to include pricing options in the recycling RFP that would combine universal trash and recycling service, so the city could evaluate a single-hauler model. Council members cited potential benefits including lower costs for residents and reduced wear on local roads from fewer collection vehicles.

Staff said the current RFP timeline meant the option could be off-cycle but that staff would analyze market capacity and return to the council with findings and a recommendation. “If we have a single refuse hauler that can meet the requirement, and does recycling for us, that could trigger, organics,” a staff member said, explaining possible second-order regulatory effects.

Council members noted trade-offs: a single hauler can produce predictable rates but can limit competition and, in some cases, drive prices up if service levels fall. One council member cited a Maple Grove example where a single-hauler arrangement was later challenged.

The council voted to approve the RFP and to task staff with feasibility analysis and a future recommendation about pursuing a single-hauler contract.