Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Joplin staff seek pricing options in bid for next trash and recycling contract
Summary
A Burns & McDonnell consultant told the Joplin City Council the city’s trash-and-recycling contract expires June 30, and staff will ask bidders for multiple options — universal vs. subscription recycling, one- vs. two-cart base service, and varied bulky-item rules — to compare cost and service implications.
City staff told the Joplin City Council on Monday that the city will put residential trash and recycling services back out to bid before the current contract expires June 30 and will ask vendors to price several service scenarios to give council options.
Julie, a consultant with Burns & McDonnell, said the draft RFP seeks pricing for two contract terms (five- or seven-year base terms with optional renewals up to 10 years) and for multiple service configurations: universal recycling (provided to all households) versus subscription/opt-in, one cart versus two carts in the base rate, and a range of bulky- item collection frequencies and pricing models. The firm is also requesting separate pricing for dedicated yard- waste collection that would allow diversion to composting rather than landfill disposal.
“Right now the current contract is in place until June 30,” Julie said during the presentation. “We’ll ask for pricing for universal recycling and for opt in so the city council can see what that cost looks like side-by-side.”
Julie noted Joplin received a $2 million Environmental Protection Agency grant for recycling education and outreach that is being implemented through city staff; Leslie, a staff member, said the grant is reimbursement- based and must be spent by May 2027. That deadline was raised repeatedly in council questioning as a reason to accelerate outreach work tied to any contract changes.
Council members pressed staff on details. Councilor Koppel asked that the RFP preserve the ability for residents to use the transfer station at a reduced rate, a service handled under a separate contract; Julie confirmed that option remains. Councilor Lawson recalled that after the last solicitation the city opted to stay with the incumbent despite a different apparent winning bidder, and asked whether bidders would participate if the city again negotiated rather than awarding to the low bidder. City Manager Edwards and staff said the decision was to run a full solicitation and evaluate both technical and financial proposals, including service history, local office requirements and customer-service records.
Julie recommended adding more contract specifications than the current agreement contains — for example, vendor responsibilities for cart appearance and maintenance, vehicle inspection and insurance requirements, local-office presence, reporting, liquidated damages, onboarding technology and communications — to give the city leverage to enforce service standards.
Staff recommended council direct them to solicit pricing for: universal recycling and subscription models; one- and two- cart base service; multiple bulky-item setout frequencies (monthly, quarterly or pay-as- requested); and separate yard-waste collection for diversion. The RFP schedule calls for solicitation throughout January and February, interviews and evaluation in March, and a council award discussion between April and May to allow a transition before the June 30 contract expiration.
Council did not take a vote on policy choices Monday; staff said they will return with the bids and comparative pricing for council decision.
