Council hears options to keep source-separated recycling or move to single-stream automated collection

City staff and contractor representatives briefed the council on two response options after Jefferson County ended a previous recycling subsidy. Staff described option 1 as continuing source-separated curbside collection under the existing contract through its 2030 term. Option 2 would amend the city’s collection contract to switch to automated single-stream pickup, purchase or amortize automated trucks and likely extend the contract term to recoup equipment costs.

The county change removes a prior subsidy and creates new pass-through costs for municipal recycling. "On April 1, nothing will change for city residents immediately… with the exception that there will be a slight increase in the bill," the City staff member said, adding staff’s current estimate that the county-driven change will translate to roughly "$2 to $3 a month" per household.

Pros and cons: staff outlined trade-offs. Keeping source-separated collection avoids immediate contract changes and continues current collection frequency and bins but relies on specialized trucks that are harder to find and expensive to maintain. Switching to single-stream would reduce manual lifting and driver injuries and align with broader regional practice; it may change pickup frequency, require different cart sizes (64- or 96-gallon options were discussed), and could necessitate a contract extension to 2035 to amortize truck costs (staff estimated automated trucks cost roughly $500,000 each).

Public questions and council discussion focused on container sizes, pickup frequency (including whether glass would be collected monthly), impacts for small households, hazardous-waste handling, and whether service changes would raise fees beyond the estimated county pass-through. Staff said recycling service remains included in the collection contract and that some fees are set by county policy; other fee and contract changes would require council approval.

Next steps: staff recommended further analysis and said an amendment could be implemented in May or June, subject to council approval of contract modifications. Council members and members of the public expressed support for the single-stream option in several comments but also requested more detail on container sizes and household impacts before a final decision.