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Willow Park approves Republic Services rate change; council directs staff to seek renegotiation
Summary
After lengthy public comment about cart rentals and service changes, Willow Park council approved passing a Republic Services rate increase to customers but directed staff to work with partner cities to seek renegotiation or alternatives.
The Willow Park City Council on April 29 approved an ordinance to incorporate a rate increase from Republic Services for residential trash and recycling collection, while directing city staff to work with the other municipalities in the six‑city collaborative to seek renegotiation or alternative providers.
Rose (city staff) told the council that Republic is switching to robotic trucks that require standardized carts and that the contractor implemented a revised rate structure. Staff said the new monthly residential charge will rise from about $19.08 per month to about $25.12 per month (including sales tax); Republic notified the cities that the change accompanies equipment and service changes. "Republic did not give us a choice," Rose said, describing difficulty getting answers from the vendor and noting the contract mechanism is managed as a multicity collaboration.
Residents at the meeting objected to the increase and said the new cart sizes and weekly‑service assumptions could be insufficient for larger households. One resident noted delivery of a 95‑gallon cart and suggested the city try to renegotiate service frequency or cart options. Another resident urged the council to pursue a reopener with Republic or consider other vendors.
Council members pressed staff for more detail about contract terms and timing; staff said the increase would take effect May 1 and would appear on bills issued in mid‑May. Staff cautioned that if the council refused to pass the rate to customers, the city would be required to absorb the additional cost for the immediate billing period — an estimated city exposure of roughly $11,400 per month based on current customer counts.
To address the immediate billing cycle while seeking longer‑term relief, the council voted to adopt the ordinance to pass the increase through customer bills, and simultaneously instructed staff to coordinate with the other five cities in the collaborative to explore renegotiation, potential reopeners and alternatives. The motion passed after public comment and council discussion.
Staff said recycling service will continue under the new arrangement and that more detailed answers about cart ownership, rental terms and contract renewal schedules will be provided as staff follows up with the collaborative’s lead city and Republic Services.
