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Board recommends council approve $15 one-time fee for 96-gallon cart option
Summary
The Board of Public Works backed a regulation update recommending city council approve a one-time $15 upsizing fee to help offset a $2 million cart purchase and the start of a new residential collection contract next spring.
The Waukesha Board of Public Works recommended that city council approve an update to residential garbage regulations to allow a one-time $15 fee for property owners who elect a 96-gallon cart when the city swaps and purchases new automated carts.
Dustin Nolan, manager of the city’s residential collection and drop-off operations, described a planned purchase of replacement carts for roughly 18,500 automated pickup properties — a purchase he said is approximately $2,000,000 — tied to the transition from Waste Management to John’s Disposal starting April 2025. Nolan said offering a $15 one-time upsizing fee would help offset the higher cost of larger 96-gallon carts and that many residents who were asked anecdotally welcomed a modest fee.
Staff proposed administering the fee through an online portal and said the one-time charge would remain with the house (the cart would transfer to the next property owner without an additional $15 charge). Board members asked staff about how many households might select the larger cart and whether the fee would reduce the CIP borrowing need; staff estimated possible revenue in the low hundreds of thousands depending on take-up.
A board member amended a motion to present the $15 fee recommendation to city council for final approval (rather than the board unilaterally changing the regulation); the amended motion passed.
The recommendation will move to the city council for final action; staff said they will continue to develop an online payment portal and offer in-person payment options at the treasury desk for residents who prefer it.
