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Hamilton staff recommends new five‑year refuse contract with Rumpke; proposed rates would rise to cover 46% contract increase
Summary
Director of Resident Services Adam Helms told council Rumpke was the lone bidder for a five‑year refuse contract totaling just under $26.5 million (a roughly 46% increase over the previous contract); staff proposed rate increases, continuing a transfer‑station voucher program and switching to Rumpke‑branded carts to reduce replacement costs.
Adam Helms, director of resident services, briefed council on the city’s refuse contract and the recommended rate plan tied to bids for a new five‑year contract.
Helms said Rumpke was the only bidder for the advertised services and that the company’s bid for the new five‑year contract “totaled just short of $26,500,000.” He noted the contract that ends this year reflected pricing extended from a 2015 agreement, and staff calculated the new contract represents about a 46% increase in overall cost.
Staff proposed to preserve the transfer‑station voucher program (one free residential drop‑off per year with proof of residency). Helms said the value of the voucher program would be about $484,000 if every eligible household used it, but current participation is far lower (roughly 150 residents per month, or about 1,700 per year).
Helms said the city would transition to Rumpke‑branded brown carts in future replacements to shift replacement costs to Rumpke; the company would replace broken or missing carts over time and the switch would not occur all at once.
On rates, Helms said inflation and the higher contract price are the main drivers of the increase. Staff presented residential and commercial rate schedules and said the city must set new rates to meet refuse‑fund expenditures projected over the next five years. The presentation included comparables showing Hamilton sits in the upper third of peer cities’ monthly refuse rates.
Council did not take immediate legislative action on the contract during the meeting; staff said the proposal will move through the normal review and rate‑setting process.
