Consultant gives three options for city trash hauling

Last edited 12:12 p.m., April 19, 2017

City of Springfield officials are considering three trash-collection options presented yesterday in a report by Kansas City-based consulting firm Burns & McDonnell.

Officials are seeking to make the current system more efficient and hired Burns & McDonnell to provide a third-party objective report. Currently, 12-15 waste service companies operate in the city via a free-market system for curbside collection. WCA Waste Corp. and Republic Waste Services are estimated to provide over 50 percent of service to Springfield customers, according to a news release.

Springfield Assistant Director of Environmental Services Errin Kemper laid out the options during a City Council luncheon meeting.

“Based on field observations, Springfield looks about like what you’d expect in an open system,” Kemper said, reiterating the need for a more efficient program. “Residents along any given street have a variety of different trash haulers.”

The three options presented in the Burns & McDonnell report are:
    •    offering service agreements to existing haulers;
    •    splitting up the city’s trash collection into zones; and
    •    establishing franchises or licenses for targeted collection.

Under the first option, each licensed hauler would enter into a contract with the city and agree to consistent pricing, services and billing.

The second option calls on splitting the city’s roughly 55,000 residential customers into three or four collection zones. One service provider each would gain control of the zones in a system the report said would “reduce the number of haulers providing residential collection service.” The report recommended the creation of a hauler consortium if the second option is selected.

City officials under option three would not immediately attempt to make the free-market system more efficient. However, haulers would agree to meet a minimum set of requirements through nonexclusive franchise agreements with the city. Under such an agreement, haulers would pay franchise fees to the city.

At the luncheon, City Manager Greg Burris said a change needs to be made, but not necessarily one of the three options presented. He said a three-hauler system and the municipalization of waste collection were not recommendations in the report, but could be part of the conversation.

“Myself, I’m not interested in doing any of those three. I don’t think that’s the correct course that the city needs to take,” said Mayor Ken McClure.

The Burns & McDonnell report recommends city officials post notice of its intent to standardize solid waste collection services. Missouri law requires a notice to be made at least two years before a city can do so, according to the report.

City officials are scheduled to reconvene in 30 days after studying the options.

Burns & McDonnell conducted a survey of Springfield residents to inform its report. Results included:
    •    prices range from $10 to $16 per month for trash service;
    •    73 percent of respondents want environmentally friendly waste management services, such as recycling; and
    •    residents most value cost, quality and variety of services, environmental stewardship and protecting the interests of small, local businesses.

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