Metropolitan Council approves ordinance to create Department of Waste Services, 6-0 as amended

The Metropolitan Council voted 6-0 to adopt an ordinance creating a standalone Metropolitan Government Department of Waste Services, approving the measure as amended to add reporting requirements.

Council members and department staff said the new department will pull waste collection and related functions out of other agencies and stand up operations, technology and oversight to improve service delivery. "The current budget has 23,500,000,000.0 in contracted services," Tracy Thurman, director of Waste Services, said during the meeting; she added the department will pursue revenue and efficiency opportunities while maintaining contracted work.

The amendment added at the meeting requires regular reporting on the new department’s operations; speakers referred to the reports as annual or quarterly during discussion. Council member Berkeley introduced the amendment and a motion to adopt the ordinance as amended was moved…