Sahuarita council adopts townwide single-provider solid-waste ordinance, approves Waste Connections contract

Sahuarita — The Town Council on Monday adopted Ordinance No. 2025-179 to create an exclusive townwide curbside solid-waste collection system for single-family and multifamily residences up to four units and then approved a contract with Waste Connections of Arizona under a fixed-rate option.

The ordinance and the contract were framed by town staff and consultants as a way to reduce the number of heavy collection vehicles on neighborhood streets, increase recycling and bulk collection, and standardize equipment and service. The council voted 6-0 to adopt the ordinance and then unanimously approved the contract with Waste Connections.

The ordinance sets a September 1, 2025, commencement for the townwide system and authorizes town-owned carts and an exclusive residential collection contract. The procurement described a seven-year initial term with optional extensions; the agenda packet listed a contract (No. 25001) and estimated program costs that staff used to model two rate approaches: an annual-adjustment option and a fixed-rate option. Council approved the fixed-rate option, which staff modeled at a higher first-year charge held steady for multiple years before stepping up later in the contract period.

Consultants told the council the single-provider approach would improve service levels and safety and reduce vehicle trips. “One of the biggest ones is the level of service. When you go to townwide trash or when you make the transition to an exclusive town contract, you’ll get townwide trash, recycling and bulk collection,” the consultant said during the presentation.

Waste Connections officials said the company will invest in equipment and safety features. Ty Tossinson, Waste Connections’ divisional vice president, said the company operates nationally and emphasized local operations: “We are a very big company… We are a very big company. But as part of design, we don’t like to feel like a big company. We see value in the local districts.”

Public comment occupied more than an hour before the council’s final actions. Dozens of residents and small haulers spoke, with concerns centered on: potential increases in household costs, fees charged by current providers to remove carts if a household switches, the loss of residential choice, impacts on small local haulers and on fixed-income households and seasonal residents, and the reputation and past reviews of Waste Connections. Several speakers described paying less than the proposed town rate and urged the council to allow market choice.

Town staff and consultants addressed many of the public concerns during the meeting. Staff said town-purchased carts would end the common practice of current providers charging homeowners a pickup or “termination” fee when service is cancelled; the town’s ordinance language also prohibits charging undisclosed termination fees unless they were “conspicuously disclosed” when a customer entered service, staff said. Consultants added that the town will offer vacation holds of up to six months (no collection charges for the first 90 days; a $50 reinstatement fee if service is stopped beyond 90 days), shared-account exceptions for adjacent properties on a case-by-case basis, and an exemption pathway for large properties with existing commercial service. Staff also said HOAs with valid existing contracts in place before the town’s public notice would be phased in and honored until those contracts expire.

Staff estimates presented to council showed a first‑year cost-of-service per household that factored contractor fees, cart finance amortized over 15 years, and an administrative charge to cover staff and program support. Staff said they reduced previously proposed staffing and where possible allocated existing staff time; they also said part of the initial program funding includes a general-fund contribution that is modeled for repayment over time.

Councilmembers who spoke in favor said the change is intended to reduce wear on residential streets, improve safety and customer service, and reduce the number of trucks circulating neighborhoods. The consultant cited a study showing that a reduction in truck trips can materially lower pavement wear. Several council members and staff stressed the option to phase in existing HOA contracts and the exemptions for large properties.

The council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-179 (6-0) and then approved Contract No. 25001 with Waste Connections of Arizona under the fixed-rate option (unanimous). Staff will return with final transition plans, policies and procedures, an outreach schedule, and the town’s cart distribution plan ahead of the program start date.

The contract and ordinance text, the consultant’s cost models, and the municipal policy framework will determine final customer notices and the exact timetable for cart distribution, zone assignments for bulk pickup and other operational details.