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Council discontinues green curbside pickup and directs negotiation for recycling contract
Summary
Brigham City will discontinue its green-waste curbside pickup as a city-provided service (green cans will convert to second black garbage cans or be returned), and the council authorized staff to negotiate a one-year recyclable collection contract with EconoWaste at a proposed $10 monthly rate if no minimums are required.
After extended discussion, the Brigham City Council approved a staff recommendation to end the city-run green-waste curbside collection and directed staff to pursue a negotiated, one-year approach for curbside recycling with the current third-party contractor.
Staff explained the change is based on operations and cost considerations: roughly 1,500 households subscribe to the green-waste curbside program at a subsidized monthly rate (about $4.13), and staff said separate green-waste pickup requires a dedicated truck and crew during the green season. The city also reported contamination and management costs at the green waste site. Staff proposed converting the green can program into a second black trash can service (customers who want continued curbside green pickup could instead have a second black can at the black-can rate) and said the municipally-run green facility would remain open for drop-offs.
Regarding curbside recycling (blue can), staff said the city contracts with EconoWaste; participation has declined about 11% since the program started and contamination has generated landfill costs. Staff proposed not renewing the existing multi-year contract unless a revised agreement can be negotiated; EconoWaste offered a revised proposal that would lower some administrative daily fees and staff recommended the council authorize a one-year agreement at about $10 per month for recyclers if the company will agree to an annual contract with no minimums.
EconoWaste representative Val Sanders addressed the council and said the contractor picks up, handles customer calls, supplies cans and delivers material to Wasatch Integrated; she disputed some of staff's cost assumptions and urged the city to preserve curbside recycling. Councilmembers ultimately approved discontinuing the curbside green program (green cans would convert to a second black can or be returned) and gave staff direction to negotiate a short-term recycling agreement with no minimums at the proposed $10 monthly rate. The council asked staff to communicate the changes to residents and to monitor participation and contamination metrics over the coming year.
