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Council reviews recycling contract amendment, proposed $4 recycling fee and outreach options
Summary
Syracuse staff presented a proposed amendment to the Robinson Waste contract to begin curbside recycling and recommended a $4 monthly recycling fee; councilors directed staff not to pay for magnets or extra flyers and asked for the contract and fee ordinance to return for formal consideration.
Syracuse City staff presented a proposed amendment to the city’s solid‑waste contract with Robinson Waste to add curbside recycling service and outlined a proposed monthly recycling fee and related outreach options.
Staff said the existing contract with Robinson Waste runs through 2027 and the firm has requested a contractual CPI adjustment (a 3% increase) as allowed by the contract. Staff proposed a monthly recycling fee of $4 per household that would preserve the municipal fund minimum balance; staff explained the city would purchase recycling cans up front for distribution and that paying for the cans would deplete a portion of the current fund balance without the fee change.
The staff presentation included three outreach options for the rollout: custom magnets to put on containers (estimated cost $4,500), a flyer ($1,700), or a combined flyer inserted in the city’s secondary‑water mailer ($2,000). Councilors debated the likely effectiveness of magnets and flyers; several members said householders already rely on neighborhood scheduling cues and electronic communications and that many paper mailings are ignored. The council provided direction at the work session: do not fund magnets or flyers in the initial rollout. One councilor noted each recycling bin will be labeled and that the city will provide pickup schedules on the website.
Staff also noted Robinson Waste had submitted a letter requesting the contract CPI adjustment and that the company retains a surcharge mechanism for fuel spikes under contract terms. Staff will bring back the contract amendments, the consolidated fee schedule changes and a formal ordinance for the fee to be considered at an upcoming business meeting. The council did not adopt the fee at the work session; council members indicated a preference to make any increases effective on the same date as the CPI adjustment.
