Merriam council authorizes RFP for citywide single-hauler trash program, approves several capital actions

MERRIAM, Kan. — The Merriam City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt an Organized Collection Plan and authorize staff to issue a request for proposals for a citywide single-hauler trash, recycling and yard-waste program.

Staff presenting the plan said the move is a statutorily required step to seek bids and does not commit the city to a contract. “We don’t know how much this is going to cost,” the staff presenter said, repeatedly stressing that the city will not know pricing, the selected hauler, or service schedules until bids are returned. The RFP is expected to be released in January, with bidders given approximately six weeks to respond and a council recommendation targeted for April. If the city and a vendor negotiate a contract, the earliest rough target for a service start was described as January 2026, contingent on contract terms and existing contract expiration windows.

Why it matters: the plan would consolidate residential waste collection into a single city-negotiated contract, with the city paying the contractor and recovering a solid-waste fee on property tax bills. Staff said the approach aims to reduce total truck traffic, lower vehicle emissions, and increase oversight of customer service and pricing; the RFP includes requirements for collection frequency, container management, insurance and evaluation criteria. The base bid will include properties in homeowners associations, with an alternate allowing haulers to price proposals excluding HOAs.

Public reaction at the hearing was mixed. Fred Tubmancamp, a longtime resident, said he pays about $60–$62 a quarter and preferred private negotiation with haulers: “I don’t think this is a business for the city to get involved in,” he said, calling the plan a poor fit for his household. Another resident, Billy Cron, urged the council to stop the process immediately if it truly could “back out at any time,” warning about risks if a single hauler later failed to provide service. Staff responded to concerns about penalties and exceptions, saying penalties are limited to circumstances short of an ‘act of God,’ such as a large ice storm.

Council members asked detailed questions about funding, escalation clauses, and what services would be bundled; staff said the city would initially pay the contractor and then assess a new line on the property tax bill twice a year, and that the five-year contract term includes a capped annual escalation.

Votes at a glance (actions taken during the meeting): - Consent agenda: approved (motion passed unanimously). - 2025 legislative agenda: approved (8-0). - Organized Collection Plan and authorization to issue RFP for citywide single-hauler trash/recycling/yard waste program: approved (8-0). - Payment to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — $300,000 for Upper Turkey Creek engineering (local match for FY2025): approved (8-0). - Resolution to purchase multiple real properties (former Antioch library site and adjacent parcels) not to exceed $4,000,000: approved (8-0). - Purchase of 2029 Pierce pumper truck: approved (order placed; $1,220,203.41) (8-0). - LED retrofit kits and streetlight materials: approved ($272,632) (8-0). - Confirmation of Megan Borth as finance director: approved (8-0).

What’s next: staff will issue the organized-collection RFP in January and return bids for evaluation; the council will receive a recommendation in April. The city emphasized it can halt the process at defined checkpoints.

Sources: City staff presentation and public hearing testimony recorded at a Merriam City Council meeting. Quotes and attributions are taken from speakers who addressed the council during the meeting.