As Fort Collins staff spent the last several months investigating a potential citywide contract for household trash pickup, specifics remained sparse about what the new system could look like. That all changed when staff shared detailed recommendations for a trash contract with Fort Collins City Council. The majority of council had a positive reaction to the recommendations. They’ll vote Tuesday on the policy aspects of the contract program and could begin seeking bids from haulers as soon as August.
Staff recommend a one-district contract, meaning the city would pick one hauler for all single-family homes and small multifamily complexes with eight units or fewer. Homeowners associations with existing trash contracts would be exempt as long as the contract meets the city’s current requirements. Larger multifamily complexes, businesses and construction sites could still choose their haulers, so staff estimate about 80% of the local trash and recycling market wouldn’t be affected by the contract.
Staff recommended that a contract include trash and recycling pickup as well as seasonal yard trimmings pickup. Trash would continue to operate under the “pay as you throw” model where pricing is based on volume and recycling is bundled. Staff plan to ask for pricing on both weekly and every-other-week recycling pickup. (Recycling is currently collected at least every other week.) They’ll also request pricing for optional and bundled weekly collection of yard trimmings, which the chosen hauler would offer from April to November.