Livingston to bring curbside hauling in‑house, approves purchase of used truck; staff plan service changes

The Livingston City Commission voted to move the city’s curbside solid‑waste hauling into city control and approved buying a used Peterbilt truck to begin hauling to regional landfills, city staff said.

The decision follows a two‑year technical review by Herrera Environmental that compared four options for managing municipal solid waste: status quo (city operation with Republic Services hauling under short extensions), city hauling to the Logan landfill, city hauling to Billings, and a private hauler performing curbside service. The Herrera analysis produced net‑present‑value and per‑ton cost comparisons; city staff told commissioners hauling city loads to Logan produced the lowest long‑term cost per ton.

Why it matters: Livingston currently operates a transfer station and curbside collection but has been relying on an external hauler for some transport and for some contracted services. City leaders said bringing curbside hauling in‑house would reduce long‑term costs, improve schedule control, and allow staff to expand local recycling and composting…