Washington council approves new waste franchise, turn‑lane contract and budget amendments; equipment leases rejected

WASHINGTON, Mo. — The Washington City Council on Monday approved a package of measures shaping waste collection, traffic projects and the city budget, and rejected two proposed five‑year equipment leases after questions over cost and warranty coverage.

The council voted to approve an exclusive five‑year franchise with Waste Connections of Missouri Inc. for residential solid‑waste and recycling collection, directed remaining federal ARPA funds to the city’s fire station budget and authorized contracts and grant work for two road projects on Missouri 100 and at the High Street/Highway 100 intersection. Separately, the council rejected ordinances to lease a Toro grounds‑master mower and a Toro sprayer.

Why it matters: The franchise sets the next citywide trash and recycling operator and standardizes container sizes and collection schedules beginning June 1, 2025; the turn‑lane and intersection work is tied to grant applications and construction that will change traffic patterns; the ARPA allocation affects capital funding for the fire station; and the council’s rejection of the leases leaves open how the city will replace aging grounds equipment.

Waste collection franchise

Councilmembers approved an ordinance authorizing an exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Connections of Missouri Inc. The contract calls for weekly trash collection with city‑provided or hauler‑provided carts (65‑ or 95‑gallon) and recycling collection on a twice‑monthly schedule. Charles (city staff) told the council the contract start date would be June 1, 2025. The council asked staff and the solid‑waste committee to return with a recommended resident rate structure and to continue examining the local landfill and transfer‑station options.

Tammy, the finance director, told the council the city will send details of collection changes in the water bill and through a broader public outreach effort. The ordinance passed on final reading.

ARPA funds and year‑end budget amendment

Finance Director Tammy briefed the council on American Rescue Plan Act receipts and allocations. Tammy said the city had received roughly $2.8 million in ARPA payments and that a remaining balance of $627,469.80 was available. The council voted to apply that remaining ARPA balance to the planned fire station project; Tammy said doing so “will free up” the same amount from the capital improvement sales tax for future projects. The council also approved a year‑end ordinance amending the 2024 budget to roll uncompleted projects into the next fiscal year and to reflect final revenue and asset sales.

Traffic analysis and grant work at High Street/Highway 100

The council approved a contract amendment with Lochmiller Group, Inc., for professional services to prepare a traffic analysis and CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grant application for the High Street/Highway 100 intersection. City staff described the analysis as studying dedicated right‑turn lanes and dual left‑turn lanes on the movements between High Street and Highway 100 and preparing cost estimates for the grant application. The ordinance passed on second reading.

Missouri 100 turn‑lane contract

Councilmembers awarded an owner/construction contract to Lamkey Trenching and Excavation, Inc., as the low bidder for the Missouri 100 turn‑lane project. Staff said the low bid was $919,000 and that the project estimate had been higher; city staff and the council noted the work is expected to be fully covered by a roughly $1.6 million grant if the final costs remain under the grant amount. The ordinance passed on second reading.

Proposed equipment leases rejected

Councilmembers debated and then voted down two ordinances that would have authorized five‑year leases with MTI Distributing for a Toro grounds‑master mower and a Toro sprayer. City staff presented the leasing option as a way to spread payments over five years and to rotate equipment more frequently; they said the mower quote was about $111,000 and could be leased at $2,147.54 per month for five years and bought for $1 at lease end.

Several councilmembers raised concerns that the five‑year leases would cost tens of thousands of dollars more than an outright purchase over time and questioned warranty and maintenance coverage under the lease. One councilmember observed that the leasing option would increase total cost to the city over the five‑year term. After roll‑call voting, both lease ordinances failed; councilmembers asked staff to bring purchase options back to the council in January.

Miller Post restrictive covenants, Phoenix Center resolution, subdivision and other business

The council approved an ordinance authorizing a first amended and restated declaration of restrictive covenants between the city and Miller Post Property LLC. The amendment, developed with the Miller Post Advisory Board and the reserve’s manager, clarifies seasonal closures during hunting seasons (closure from Nov. 1 to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, with one day for park staff to remove signage and reopen) and revises advisory‑board membership rules so the reserve manager may designate a family member or another representative to serve in that role.

The council also adopted a resolution allowing the Industrial Development Authority to pursue sales‑tax refunding revenue bonds for the Phoenix Center 2 Community Improvement District project and accepted the Washington Historic Preservation Commission’s annual report.

On the Phoenix Center issue, Laura Ratcliffe of Stifel, the city’s financial advisor, explained that earlier bond issues left subordinate bonds to cover unreimbursed costs and that a new, lower‑cost refinancing could reimburse those subordinate amounts sooner; she summarized, “we issued bonds that were sold to the public, but then there were also some subordinate bonds that represented the amounts that we couldn’t get sold to the public,” and said the proposed action would not create additional spending but would accelerate reimbursement of prior costs.

Appointments, reappointments and administrative items

The council approved reappointments to the police department for Zachary Yawitz and Ben Jurgens after a department recommendation. The council accepted the Historic Preservation Commission’s annual report and received an administrative report that the salary and benefits committee recommended City Hall close at 4:30 p.m. on regular business days beginning Jan. 1 as a soft benefit for employees; that proposal was presented as information for future action.

What’s next

Staff were directed to return with purchase options for the mower and sprayer in January, the solid‑waste committee will recommend rates for the new franchise structure in coming months, and city staff will proceed with grant applications and project administration for the listed transportation projects.

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Speakers quoted or named in this report include Tammy (Finance Director), Charles (city staff), Laura Ratcliffe (Stifel financial advisor), Bill Miller Sr. (honoree), Jackie Huber (Miller Post manager), and unnamed city staff who presented bid and contract information. Councilmembers participated in roll calls and votes during the meeting; the city clerk recorded the final outcomes listed above.