York City Council adopts refuse fee schedule, approves bikeshare grant and multiple contracts

The York City Council on June 3 approved a new refuse collection fee schedule effective July 1, 2025, and passed a series of resolutions to accept transportation funding, award a street-construction contract and extend a vendor license for the Bureau of Health.

The new refuse schedule sets the base single-unit residential rate at $440 per year (equivalent to $110 per quarter) and applies a multiplied base for multi-unit residential and commercial properties; council voted unanimously to approve the schedule. Council also voted to accept $500,000 in Transportation Improvement Program funds for a York Bikeshare project, award a street-improvement contract to Kinsley in the amount of $546,328, and extend the Bureau of Health's enterprise license agreement with Esri for 2025'027 at an annual cost of $42,200 (total $126,600).

Why it matters: the refuse fee change alters how households and multi-unit properties are billed for sanitation services and was tied in public discussion to a transition in billing and the city's new hauler. The contract awards and grant acceptance commit city funds and external capital to public works, bikeshare infrastructure and health-mapping software.

Key actions and votes - Resolution 42: Approve refuse collection fee schedule (effective 07/01/2025). Vote: Yes 5, No 0. The single-family residential base rate was clarified in council discussion as $440 per year ($110 per quarter). - Resolution 38: Accept Transportation Improvement Program funds and authorize reimbursement agreement for York Bikeshare, $500,000. Vote: Yes 5, No 0. - Resolution 39: Award 2025 street-improvements contract to Kinsley for $546,328 per the engineer recommendation. Vote: Yes 5, No 0. - Resolution 40: Authorize three-year enterprise license agreement with Esri for Bureau of Health, $42,200 per year, $126,600 total. Vote: Yes 5, No 0. - Resolution 41: Approve appointment of probationary police officers (Kenneth Britton; Michael Kaiser; Charles Dashnall; Bradley Engel; Dylan Hall; Michael Crews; Jordan Sellers; Jacob Vega; Carmen Pringle; Aaron Weatherill Jr.). Vote: Yes 5, No 0. - Final passage: Bill 14 (consent to assignment of shared policing responsibilities from Spring Garden Township to the York County Regional Police Department). Vote: Yes 5, No 0. - Introductions (no votes on final passage; bills will "sit" as introduced): Bill 15 (appropriation $29,694.50 to fund environmental study for affordable housing developer program); Bill 16 (appropriation $5,000 from Family Health Council of Central PA for women's health services); Bill 17 (appropriation $10,000 for Healthy Moms & Babies/homeless youth program grant).

Administration explanation and clarifications City staff explained that the refuse-rate change is intended to keep the environmental services budget balanced after the city took over refuse-billing from York Water. City staff (identified in the meeting as Kim, staff member) said the city will spread roughly two weeks of unbilled December service over the third and fourth quarter bills and detailed the temporary per-unit extra charge: "So the third quarter and the fourth quarter... for residential per unit ... it'll be an additional $6.84. Commercial per unit, it'll be an additional $13.68. And the minimum admin, it will be an additional $2.19." The council voted after that clarification.

Council members who introduced or presented items included Queena Washington, Theresa Janaskew and Felicia Dennis. Several resolutions passed on unanimous voice or roll-call votes.

Ending: Council scheduled the next legislative meeting for July 15 and adjourned at 6:43 p.m.