Commission directs staff toward in-house curbside hauling and approves purchase of used Peterbilt truck

The Livingston City Commission on Monday gave staff direction to move toward city-operated curbside hauling and approved purchase of a used Peterbilt truck to support the shift.

City Manager Grant Gager presented results of a two-year financial and technical review of the city's solid-waste operations, including a Herrera Environmental net-present-value analysis of four alternatives: the status quo, the city hauling to Logan, the city hauling to Billings, and a private hauler hauling to a regional facility. The analysis showed the lowest long-term net-present-value per ton for the option where the city hauls to Logan versus the current arrangement.

Gager summarized that the status quo yields a net-present-value per ton of approximately $69.57; the modelled city-haul-to-Logan option had an NPV-per-ton near $43.14; hauling to Billings and a private-hauler option showed higher NPVs. Staff said those modeled results align closely with a commercial proposal they recently received to take over only curbside service; the city would retain roll-off service, the public scale, recycling and green-waste operations.

Operations and service: Public Works Director Shannon Holmes and solid-waste superintendent Van (last name not specified in the transcript) told the commission their team can operate curbside hauling with existing staff and modest equipment purchases. Van said one operational risk in recent months has been variable service capacity by the current contractor when trailers were not delivered consistently; staff said having city control of hauling would let the transfer station manage trailer inventory and maintain more consistent public hours, including expanded Saturday service.

Costs and customer impact: Staff said the residential curbside rate today is $25.20 a month. If the city takes over hauling, staff estimate the additional overhead that currently sits with curbside service would need to be covered either via a per-account surcharge or raised per-ton fees for scale, recycling and green-waste. Staff gave an example figure of roughly $16 per month extra per residential account to recoup the overhead currently covered by curbside revenues; they also said the city can temporarily absorb start-up costs from fund balance and buy the needed truck from cash on hand, avoiding debt.

Equipment purchase: The commission ratified Purchase Order 20162 to acquire a used 2008 Peterbilt model (bid submitted by Tom Banstra) after staff presented an inspection report and explained that local mechanics had inspected several active diagnostic flags; repairs were estimated to be modest (a staff estimate put fixes at under $1,500 for items flagged by diagnostics). Commissioners voted to authorize the city manager to sign the purchase order; the roll-call vote carried.

Next steps and program expansion: Staff said they have applied to the Public Service Commission for authority to haul over public highways and will pursue licensing as required. Commissioners and staff discussed expanding programs once savings are realized — for example, a construction-waste reuse program, seasonal recycling, or a food-waste composting pilot modeled after neighboring jurisdictions. Public commenters and commissioners emphasized continuity of Saturday and winter service and asked about contingency planning; staff said additional trailers and a third trailer in the fleet are options to create buffer capacity.

Authorities and operation notes: Staff said Logan landfill has capacity and a long-term plan; the city would still provide roll-offs and operate the public scale and green-waste programs. Staff noted Republic (current provider) has in recent months sometimes sent fewer trailers than requested, producing intermittent transfer-station closures; in-house hauling would restore scheduling control to the city.

Outcome: The commission gave staff direction to pursue in-house curbside hauling, to continue development of operational details and licensing, and approved the truck purchase so the program can begin on staff’s timeline. Staff will return with implementation steps, any needed adjustments to the solid-waste fund, and final licensing paperwork.

Why it matters: The change shifts control of curbside service to the city, which staff and several commissioners said should improve reliability, give the public more consistent transfer-station access and create opportunities to add recycling and composting services.