Fremont approves short-term agreement with Waste Management, negotiates lower tipping fee while planning long-term RFP

The Fremont City Council approved a short-term landfill service agreement with Waste Management of Nebraska on June 9, a bridge contract intended to begin July 1 while staff prepares an RFP for a longer-term local transfer-station solution.

Public Works Director Dan Gillis told council the city’s existing contract with Waste Connections was 33 years old and that negotiations produced a lower rate with Waste Management: "Right now, we pay $51 a ton to Waste Connections. Waste Management is gonna charge $38 a ton for their first year," Gillis said. He said the city would also consider occupation taxes and negotiation points to offset haulers driving additional distance to the disposal point.

Gillis said the bridge agreement gives time to prepare a multi-track RFP. One procurement track would ask bidders to build and operate a local transfer station; the other would ask the city to build a transfer station that a private operator would then run. Council members asked about household options, whether household waste customers would have alternative drop-off options, and how rates at regional landfills would be handled. Gillis said some disposal sites accept different materials (for example, some sites do not accept tires) and that residents will ultimately have more disposal options than under the old single-provider arrangement.

Council approved the agreement 8–0. Staff said the RFP work is expected to begin in the coming months and that ordinance changes will be required to implement the new disposal arrangements and pricing structure.

Next steps: staff will circulate pricing details (exhibit A in the contract), issue the RFP in the next month or two, and return to council with ordinance changes as needed.