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Committee directs DPW to re‑examine feasibility of an additional city drop‑off center
Summary
The committee directed the Department of Public Works to revisit a 2021 study and further explore siting, costs and potential federal grant funding for a centrally located drop‑off center and transfer station to reduce illegal dumping and improve material handling.
Alderman Russell W. Chambers and other committee sponsors asked the Department of Public Works to revisit prior work on siting an additional city drop‑off center and associated transfer‑station capacity (file 241252). Rick Myers, sanitation services manager with DPW, told the committee the department had completed a study and presented findings in 2021 and is prepared to update cost estimates and siting options.
Why it matters: city drop‑off centers give residents a legal option to dispose of bulky waste and recyclables, reducing illegal dumping on vacant lots and other public spaces. DPW said an additional site co‑located with a transfer station could create routing efficiencies and lower long‑run disposal costs for the city’s collection network.
DPW context and funding efforts Myers said a 2021 estimate put capital costs at roughly $12 million for a drop‑off center without a transfer station and about $20 million if built alongside a transfer station; DPW also emphasized the long‑term operational efficiencies of adding transfer capacity. The department is seeking federal grant support: DPW reported it submitted an application to the U.S. EPA’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Program and that the city has passed the preliminary eligibility review. DPW said it expects to learn whether that $5 million request will be awarded later this year.
Committee members discussed possible municipal sites for a centrally located facility; aldermen suggested exploring city‑owned parcels in central Milwaukee and coordination with regional agencies such as the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District (MMSD) where appropriate. DPW said staff will update the 2021 study, revisit potential sites and report back to the committee with revised cost estimates and grant status.
Next steps: DPW will refresh the 2021 analysis, include updated capital and operating cost estimates, identify candidate sites for a centrally located drop‑off center and report on the status of the EPA grant application.
