Monroe council approves 7-year refuse and recycling contract with Pelletary; rejects locked fuel surcharge

The Monroe Common Council voted to extend the city's residential refuse and recycling contract with Pelletary for seven years, approving the company’s proposal without adopting a locked-in fuel surcharge.

Administrator Rindy introduced the proposal and outlined two options: keep the current fuel-surcharge model tied to fuel prices, or accept a no-fuel-surcharge option that would raise the base charge by about 35¢ per household per month to stabilize budgeting. As Rindy summarized, "So it is the 35¢ per household per month." Pelletary’s representative, Todd, described his company’s operations and customer service, saying, "We really pride ourselves on our customer service...you can actually pick up the phone, you, any of your residents." Council members asked about bulk-item pickup logistics, recycling cleanliness and the relative costs of the two options.

A council member moved to approve the seven-year extension without the locked fuel surcharge; another alder seconded. The clerk called the roll: Alder Krenig, Alder Cleveland, Alder Grenzo, Alder Truhart, Alder Wharton Wyler and Alder Knoll voted aye; Alder Miller, Alder Schafer and Alder Tolman voted no. The motion passed 6–3. The ordinance and contract-extension authorization were approved as presented.

Why it matters: the council chose short-term budget flexibility over a fixed monthly guarantee, a decision staff said would save money in some years but risk higher bills if fuel spikes. Administrator Rindy noted recent variance in the city’s fuel-surcharge payments (33,000 in 2022; about 20,000 in 2023; projected ~15,000 for 2024) and said the locked option would produce roughly $17,000 per year in city charges compared with a fluctuating surcharge.

What's next: staff and Pelletary may return with more detailed budget impacts and optional bulk-pickup cost estimates for the 2025 budget cycle.