Carlisle staff outline plan to bring trash and recycling collection in‑house by 2028

Deputy mayor Perry convened the meeting on the borough’s plan to municipalize solid waste collection, and Richard, the borough’s assistant bureau manager, presented a six‑month update on the proposal.

Richard told council the borough adopted a resolution in December expressing intent to pursue an in‑house trash and recycling program with an anticipated start date of 01/01/2028. He said the staffing plan developed in 2025 remains unchanged and the borough expects to begin hiring a program manager later this year, with additional hires next year to be trained ahead of the 2028 start date.

Why it matters: municipalizing collection would move the borough from third‑party contracts to direct operation, giving officials more control over service and rate structure and — officials say — potential long‑term savings.

Key details from the presentation: Richard said fleet optimization reduced the vehicle budget from an initial estimate of $1,600,000 for five 25‑yard trucks to about $1,350,000 by adjusting truck sizes and quantities. He urged council to consider ordering vehicles in August rather than September or later, saying engine‑related EPA changes slated for 01/01/2027 could add fees manufacturers pass on to buyers; ordering earlier could save roughly $110,000 per vehicle if the vendor has stock.

On recycling and disposal contracts, Richard said borough staff have met with Penn Waste’s material recovery facility and have a planned August meeting with landfill liaisons to discuss tipping agreements. He said Penn Waste signaled openness to multiyear recycling contracts and was comfortable receiving commingled recycling even if glass breaks in compacting trucks.

Funding and operations: Richard outlined a proposed internal funding structure that would use existing capital with an internal loan amortized over 20 years: the first five years focused on repaying capital for vehicles, followed by 15 years addressing operations. He and staff project that — compared with an existing contract that staff estimated increases about 7% annually — the borough could begin seeing net savings in the second year, with year‑one savings small (about $25,000 by his estimate).

Council questions focused on program scope and logistics. Councilor Jackie asked whether the borough could someday offer services to neighboring municipalities as a revenue stream; Richard called that “completely hypothetical” but said success could create such opportunities. Councilor Mellon and others asked about truck features: Richard said a $6,000 optional platform would allow trucks to handle commercial dumpsters as well as resident toters, and initial plans call for issuing standard recycling and trash containers to residents while preserving an extra‑bag/tag program for overflow.

What’s next: Richard said he will return in August with two action items: (1) a request to order vehicles and lock in pricing, and (2) consideration of the funding structure. He asked council for feedback but did not seek action at this meeting.

Quoted: “We intend to pursue an in house program, with an anticipated start date of 01/01/2028,” Richard said. He added the adjusted fleet approach “gave us some savings” and that ordering earlier could avoid EPA‑related fees passed on by manufacturers.

Context and limits: The presentation reflected staff projections and preliminary procurement discussions; no purchase orders, contract awards or changes to current vendor agreements were approved at this meeting. Schedule and cost figures are staff estimates and subject to change as procurement and contract negotiations proceed.

Ending: Richard will present formal action items to council in August for vehicle procurement and funding approval.