By Gary Massaro
Senior Project Manager Suzanne Moore offers some perspective on proposed trash bins for GV residents. The 95-gallon blue one would be given to residents. Those who don’t want one that big one could buy the 65-gallon green bin for around $55, according to a preliminary proposal to change current trash service.
Changes may be in the future for Greenwood Village’s trash service.
And among those being mulled by City Council members is changing the weekly residential recycling pickup to every other week.
Trash pickup – the stuff that goes to the dump – would continue every week.
But residents who recycle wouldn’t have to sort the stuff into separate containers. That all goes into one bin that would be hauled to the recycler. It’s called single stream recycling, and it has been in use for the past few months. So the main change would be to try pickups every other week.
Council is scheduled to vote on the proposed changes at its Sept. 13 meeting.
The proposal came to light during a study session Aug. 16. And that’s the key at this point – it’s a proposal.
The city is negotiating with Republic Waste, whose contract to pick up residential trash is set to expire in 2011.
Those negotiations could lead to a contract extension in return for saving taxpayer’s money, at least in the next year.
Under the current contract, the city is charged $15.25 a month – $12 base fee and $3.25 recycling fee – for the roughly 3,700 residential households from which Republic picks up trash.
Single stream would continue under the new proposal, with residents receiving a 95-gallon bin to stash the recyclable items.
Residents who don’t want a bin as big could buy a 65-gallon bin for around $55.
For other trash, residents will continue to use whatever bins they’re using now.
In each case – bigger or smaller recycling bins — Republic would maintain them – replacing or repairing damaged ones.
Free trash pickup is one of the perks of being a Greenwood Village resident. It all came about in 1996, when the city was considering a rebate on property taxes or to keep the tax and in turn use the money “for specific government services,” according to a staff report.
The Council at the time decided to keep the tax and use the money for trash removal from single-family residences and condominiums – not for apartments, businesses and office buildings.
That service cost taxpayers around $680,000 for trash service in 2009.
Under the current proposal, the 95-gallon bin – Republic’s universal container – can be lifted with a hoist on a truck.
At the study session, Council listened to a report it earlier had directed staff to compile regarding changes in trash service.
Under current contract, the monthly fee is scheduled to increase to $16 a month per household in 2011. A proposal on the table would reduce that fee to $13 a month for a contract extension, which would save taxpayers about $135,000 next year.
If the city opts for recycling pickup every other week – it’s currently weekly – it would save taxpayers an additional $22,000 a year because Republic has offered to reduce that hauling fee by 50 cents per household.
There are other pot-sweeteners on the table for the contract extension: Republic has offered to reduce its large-item pickup fee by $5,500 for 2011.
In all, the city could save around $145,000 in 2011 – about $165,000 if the biweekly recycling service is agreed on.
