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Augusta committee awards residential waste contract to Coastal; recycling left as optional add-on
Summary
The committee voted to award a five-year residential waste and recycling contract to Coastal Waste Recycling effective Aug. 1, 2025; recycling will be offered either through the city-managed account or by direct contractor sign-up with differing fees. Commissioners asked for follow-up on ancillary costs and budget impacts.
The engineering/serviced committee voted to award the city’s residential waste and recycling contract to Coastal Waste Recycling with an August 1, 2025 service start and a five-year base term plus an optional five-year renewal.
Director Malik presented the recommendation and described base service rates and optional recycling service structures. The recommended base monthly cost to the city for weekly residential collection (garbage, yard and bulky waste) is $22.11 per household per month. Yard and bulky waste and some other fee lines were described in the packet. Malik said the contractor will provide Zones 2 and 3 immediately and transition Zone 1 to Coastal by Aug. 1 under a planned transition schedule.
Recycling is not part of the base city pickup in the recommendation; the contract contemplates three ways residents could access recycling. Option A: the city could contract for recycling pickup with the contractor, with rates for weekly service shown at $12.69/month, twice-monthly at $11.69 and once-monthly at $10.69. Option B: the contractor may offer recycling directly to residents; those contractor-direct weekly rates were quoted by staff at $14.69 weekly, $13.69 twice monthly and $12.69 once monthly. Malik said the department recommended allowing the contractor to offer direct recycling to residents while staff will work with the contractor to develop a city-managed recycling program if the commission chooses to proceed.
Committee members pressed for clarity on budget impacts and on the range of ancillary services historically charged to the waste fund — items such as vacant-lot mowing, demolition, mosquito control and other services have been funded through the waste program in the past. Malik said the direct hauling and disposal costs would be covered under the new contract but that other ancillary services remain a separate conversation for administration and the budget process. The contract contains a 25% minority and small-business participation target and contingent contract award conditions including signed insurance and other documents.
Commissioners approved the contract award and directed administration to return with detailed analyses of related ancillary costs and how they should be funded or apportioned as part of the next budget cycle.
