Lee's Summit committee advances plan to seek bids for citywide residential trash service

The Lee's Summit Public Works Committee voted Sept. 8 to advance to City Council a draft request for proposals for a citywide residential solid-waste collection contract covering curbside single-family and qualifying multifamily units.

Michael Park, director of public works, told the committee the RFP would seek proposals for an initial five-year contract with up to three two-year renewals, include weekly trash, recyclables and yard-waste service, quarterly bulky-item pickup and an amnesty week after Christmas. Park said annual price adjustments would be tied to the consumer price index with a 4% cap and that the initial price returned by vendors would set the 2027 base rate.

Mike Anderson, deputy director of public works, said the RFP would require new uniform containers (95- and 65-gallon options, 95-gallon default), a QR code on each container linking to city information, and that containers would become city-owned at the end of the contract. Anderson said current privately owned containers would be offered back to existing haulers; containers not collected would be repurposed by third parties identified by the city.

The proposal would allow optional features: a…