Refuse fund review: staff present fleet additions and say transfer-station/outsourcing options coming

Refuse-fund staff presented a baseline capital schedule that assumes the current collection model remains in place and listed several vehicle replacements and additions, while noting staff will provide alternative scenarios for a transfer station or contracting of services.

Staff said the 2026 budget shows purchase of a roll-off-compatible chassis and a replacement skid-steer mower used for bulky-item and cleanup operations. Roberta noted staff included an additional trash truck in the 2026 plan to improve service and to keep five trucks reliably in service given heavy stop-and-go daily use. The city currently operates six collection trucks in rotation and seeks a seventh to maintain redundancy.

Public-works staff told the commission they will present cost scenarios for building a local transfer station versus contracting refuse collection; those alternatives were not modeled in the CIP book because staff are still completing cost comparisons. Staff emphasized the baseline CIP assumes no operational model change and therefore shows cost items for continued city operation of refuse collection.

Why it matters: A change to a transfer-station model or contracting collection would alter fleet needs and capital timing and could shift operating costs. Staff said they are analyzing alternatives and will return with recommendations in the coming weeks.

Next steps: Staff will complete an analysis of transfer-station options and contracted collection scenarios and present those alternatives to the commission for decision.