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Council awards five‑year refuse/recycling contract to Waste Management, keeps billing with city
Summary
The council selected Waste Management for the city's five‑year refuse and recycling contract but adopted an amendment to retain city billing and customer service; council also discussed past pickup problems and penalty enforcement.
The River Falls City Council awarded a five‑year refuse and recycling contract to Waste Management on Oct. 28 but amended the award to retain city billing and customer‑service operations.
Staff presented the bids and recommended Waste Management based on price and service. Staff noted two competitive proposals (Waste Management and GFL); Waste Management was the slightly lower‑cost option. City staff also explained the existing contract includes penalty clauses for missed pickups and that the city had enforced penalties three times this year.
Council concerns and amendment
Several council members voiced frustration about pickup reliability during the prior contract period and asked for regular reporting. One council member said the recent switch to a Thursday collection day had reduced complaints but urged continued oversight. Because the recommended Waste Management alternate included transferring billing and customer-service functions to the vendor, the council adopted an amendment to retain billing and customer-service with the city (status quo) and absorb the modest additional cost (~$1.25 per account) into the fee schedule.
Final action and implementation
The council approved the amended contract (Waste Management as vendor; billing/customer service retained by the city). Staff said Waste Management would still administer day‑to‑day collection while the city continues billing and first-tier customer service; the city will also monitor service levels and enforce contract penalties when warranted.
Votes
- Motion to award five‑year refuse and recycling contract to Waste Management (base bid) with city retaining billing/customer service — motion and amendment approved by voice vote.
