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Green River residents voice trash-collection complaints; city explores joining Solid Waste District No. 1
Summary
A resident criticized private trash collection and urged the city to reconsider municipal collection. City staff reported talks with Solid Waste District No. 1 about membership and potential cost savings if large industrial customers join the district.
A local property owner urged the Green River City Council to consider returning to city-run trash collection and criticized the quality and cost of the current private contract with Wyoming Waste.
During public comment, Tom Gengen said his apartment building now pays substantially more for smaller portable totes than when the city collected garbage: "I only paid $32.50 a month" in 2007 for a 320-gallon tote and said he now pays about $75 per month for two portable 80-gallon bins. He told the council he has sometimes had to transport refuse to the county landfill because of pickup problems and said he perceives the private contract as a monopolistic arrangement.
In response, city staff described discussions with Solid Waste District No. 1. Staff reported that operators of large industrial customers (mines) "have more or less run out of capacity" at their on-site landfill operations and may join the district. Staff said adding large industrial users could lower per-capita costs for other district members because the large users would pay a larger share of system costs. Staff also said the local landfill's closure followed federal regionalization policy intended to protect groundwater and consolidate smaller landfills; city staff said that consolidation was effectively mandated at the federal level.
City staff said the conversation with the solid waste district is ongoing, that attorneys are involved, and that the city would meet again with the district to continue exploring membership. No formal council action or vote on municipal collection or district membership occurred at the meeting.
