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Sanitation crews report 7,000 tons hauled in 2024; city warns of future truck procurement changes
Summary
Sanitation staff said crews collected about 7,000 tons of solid waste in 2024 and fulfilled nearly 3,000 bulky-item requests. Staff warned manufacturers are phasing out multipack trucks, a change that will affect future procurement and fleet replacement planning.
Sanitation staff reported Thursday that the city's curbside and bulky-item programs remain active and that service quality garners frequent resident praise, but they flagged upcoming changes in truck manufacturing that will affect replacement planning.
Staff said the division collected roughly 7,000 tons of solid waste in 2024 and completed nearly 3,000 bulky-item pickup requests; they also delivered 75 roll-off dumpsters and issued about 1,300 right-of-way violation notices during the year.
Drivers are a highly visible part of the city's customer service, staff said, and the department fields many resident requests and compliments. A staff member noted that families often call late on Sundays to schedule bulky-item pickups and that the department accepts online scheduling via the city's portal.
Sanitation and fleet staff warned the commission that multipack collection trucks — the combined packers the city currently uses — are being discontinued by manufacturers. That change will require the city to alter its replacement strategy: the typical approach of cascading an older packer to commercial collection and buying a new multipack will not be available indefinitely. Staff said they will need time to evaluate options and may increase the equipment-reserve transfer to cover different replacement costs.
Operational pressures include recruiting CDL-certified drivers, rising landfill tip fees (staff said Hutchinson/District fees increased by about $1), and higher realistic vehicle replacement costs. The 2026 draft increases the sanitation MER (equipment reserve) by $30,000 to better reflect replacement costs.
No rate or service-level changes were adopted Thursday; staff asked the commission to consider future adjustments to capital planning and to note changes in truck availability as a multi-year procurement issue.
