Haslet council awards five-year solid-waste contract to Republic Services with twice-monthly bulk pickup

Haslet — The Haslet City Council voted unanimously June 30 to award a five-year contract for residential, commercial and recyclable solid-waste collection to Republic Services, approving a base bid that includes a twice-monthly bulk pickup and a monthly residential rate of $21.57.

The contract approved by motion and second also allows the city to approve up to two successive two-year extensions by mutual consent of the parties. Council recorded the vote as unanimous on the motion to accept Republic Services’ base bid with the added second monthly bulk pickup.

The decision follows a city-requested RFP issued April 16, 2025, and a presentation by city staff. “The lowest cost rate for weekly collection … was Republic Waste for a total of $19.61,” said David Rogers, a city staff member who presented the bid comparison. Council discussion and presentations from the three proposers — CWD, Frontierways and Republic Services — focused on price, service models (automated carts only versus a “take-all” rear-load service), hazardous-waste pickup and available city services such as roll-off containers for occasional events.

Why it matters: Rogers and council members said the city will stop underwriting hazardous-waste collection from the water-and-sewer enterprise fund; that subsidy had been covering roughly $1.70 per account and will end, so the contract rates will be passed directly to customers. Rogers explained that with the subsidy removed the countywide figure that residents currently see will change and that the approved Republic package — $19.61 base plus $1.96 for a second monthly bulk collection — yields the $21.57 monthly figure the council approved.

During the public hearing, representatives from each proposer presented details and answered council questions about service mechanics and local operational capacity. Paul Hansen, general manager of CWD, described his firm’s local, privately held operation and equipment choices, saying, “we would love to earn your business.” Mike Gaber of Frontierways emphasized local presence and new equipment, and Jerry Harwell for Republic Services described Republic’s long relationship with the city and existing local crews: “we have been in Haslet for a very long time.”

Key policy details discussed in the meeting included: - Contract length and extensions: the contract awarded is for five years with up to two successive two-year extensions that require council approval and provider agreement; council members clarified extensions require mutual consent and a separate council action. - Service options: the council considered two service models. The “take-all” base bid (rear-load/catch-all) accepts bags, cans or carts and was selected; an automated carts-only option (95-gallon carts provided by the contractor) was discussed as the green/alternate option. - Pricing: Rogers presented comparative pricing. Republic’s base weekly collection bid was cited at $19.61; adding the twice-monthly bulk pickup increases the total to $21.57 per residential account per month. Council members noted alternative bids for the carts-only and other permutations, and that carts would be supplied under some proposals. - City services included in proposals: each proposer included a set of city services in their pricing, such as 12 roll-off containers a year for city use and dumpsters for public buildings; staff said these city-use roll-offs were included in all proposals at no additional per-use cost unless the city exceeded the annual allotment. - Hazardous-waste pickup: the contractors described curbside or call-in household-hazardous-waste pickup options; the council noted this cost will no longer be subsidized and will be reflected in customer billing.

Council members questioned how widely residents want the extra monthly bulk pickup and asked staff to collect more resident input before a future rate or service change. Several council members and staff noted that residents often request more frequent bulk pickup and that more frequent collection generally reduces curb clutter and informal dumping. Staff and proposers said the contractor can implement service changes during the contract period if the city and provider agree.

Motion and vote: A councilmember moved to accept Republic Services’ base bid (the “take-all” option) with the additional twice-monthly bulk collection at the stated total monthly rate of $21.57; another councilmember seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously; the council did not record a roll-call vote in the minutes presented at the hearing.

Next steps: Staff will finalize and execute the awarded contract and return to council for any required formal contract signatures. Council members asked staff to consider gathering broader resident feedback on the frequency of bulk pickups and on reporting formats that would show contractor performance. No executive session was held after the award.

Background: The city issued an RFP on April 16, 2025, after a one-year extension of the previous contract brought service through July 31, 2025. Council members and staff said periodic RFPs help test market pricing and service options. Proposers at the hearing said they each offered local operational capacity for disposal and transfer and that their proposals included certain community services to support the city’s existing programs.