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Oconomowoc council approves scheduled bulk pickup and expanded curbside electronics collection with John's Disposal
Summary
Council approved a refuse and recycling contract that replaces unlimited weekly single‑item bulk pickups with two scheduled multi‑item collections per month, expands curbside electronics pickup, and asks the hauler to operate a phased public rollout starting June 1; one alderman abstained due to a conflict of interest.
The Oconomowoc Common Council on March 3 approved a revised refuse and recycling hauling contract with John's Disposal that adds scheduled multi‑item bulk pickups and expands curbside electronics disposal options.
Public services staff and a representative of John's Disposal described the change: rather than an unscheduled single bulk pickup per week, residents will be allowed to schedule up to two multi‑item bulk collections per month by phone or email. Nate Austin of John's Disposal, who manages the city's account, said the scheduling system helps dispatch and tracking and that “generally, those collections are made within a week.” The contract also permits collection of electronics (monitors, TVs, printers) at the curbside, a service previously limited to twice‑yearly events.
Staff said the program will launch with an outreach and phased transition beginning June 1; for three months staff will run communications and maintain legacy collection behavior where needed, then move to the scheduled system. The change is intended to let the hauler target heavy‑item collections more efficiently and reduce repetitive heavy truck traffic.
Council approved the contract motion; one alderman abstained from the vote because of a reported conflict of interest with John's Disposal. Councilors praised staff negotiations for preserving current rates while adding the new scheduling features.
What happens next: staff will work with the contractor and the communications team to implement the June rollout and notify residents about how to schedule bulk pickups and what items are acceptable for curbside electronics collection.
