Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pierce County approves 5-year Ryland Environmental contract; residential pickup to rise to $20.73
Summary
The Pierce County Board of Commissioners approved a five-year garbage-collection contract with Ryland Environmental that raises the base residential pickup from $18.25 to $20.73 beginning Jan. 1, 2026; the board also approved removing a recently added $2 paper fee and may reimburse customers who already paid it.
Pierce County commissioners voted Nov. 4 to approve a five-year contract with Ryland Environmental Services that raises the county’s standard residential garbage-collection charge to $20.73 per pickup starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Richard Lee, a representative of Ryland Environmental Services, told the board the current rate of $18.25 will increase by $2.48, and an additional-cart fee will rise from $11.00 to $12.49. "There will be a payment increase starting in January 2026," Lee said during the meeting. He also said the recently added $2.00 paper fee will be removed and the company will explore reimbursing customers who already paid it.
The contract covers service from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030. Commissioner David Lowman moved to approve the five-year agreement; Commissioner Troy Mattox seconded and the motion carried.
Why it matters: the increase will affect all county households served under the contract, raising monthly household costs depending on pickup frequency. The board did not record a roll-call vote with individual yea/nay tallies in the meeting minutes; motions were noted as carried.
What was discussed: the presentation to the board focused on the new per-pickup price, the adjusted fee for extra carts and the planned removal of the $2 paper fee. Lee said the county and provider will determine whether customers who paid the paper fee will be reimbursed.
Next steps: the contract takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. County staff and Ryland will coordinate implementation details and customer notification; the board did not set a public-hearing date on the contract during the meeting.
Provenance: topic introduced and discussed in SEG 015 (Richard Lee presentation); motion and approval recorded in SEG 015.
