City mulls garbage contract

City officials are looking at possible options for garbage pickup as they prepare to send out bid proposals to contractors.

Mark Stephens, public works director, spoke to New Bern aldermen Tuesday about some options the city has for waste collection and disposal.

On May 10 the Board of Aldermen voted to extend the current solid waste contract with GDS for an additional year and receive proposals in 2012 from solid waste providers for refuse collection in the city. The board also requested the opportunity to provide input into the 2012 contract. Bid proposals will be sent out at the beginning of March with a response date toward the end of that month, Stephens said.

Options the city is looking at include the size and number of garbage carts and the frequency of collection service, Stephens said.

Residents in the city currently have 65-gallon trash carts but could have the option of using 96-gallon carts, Stephens said. The 65-gallon carts were issued to improve recycling, he said.

With 96-gallon carts, there could be larger tipping fees at the landfill because of more waste being disposed, Stephens said.

Currently, refuse pickup is once a week and Stephens suggests that continue.

The city could look at the option of providing more than one garbage cart to residents who need it. Residents now only get one 65-gallon cart and pay $8 per month for refuse pickup. Each additional cart would raise the waste collection fee by $8 per month.

Another option would be franchising commercial waste containers. The city currently allows businesses to rent Dumpsters from the company of their choice. If the city franchised the containers there would be one rate, he said.

The city, which now provides 30-gallon recycling totes, could also reduce the waste stream by providing 65-gallon recycling containers and picking them up bi-weekly, Stephens said.

A contract could specify weekly pickups of white and brown goods or allow residents to call for pickups, which would reduce operational costs, Stephens said.

The city currently picks up white and brown goods while picking up yard waste, he said.

“There are many different options we have to look at when entering into a contract,” he said.

Mike Epperson, city manager, said this was a good time to take a broader look at the city’s services, leading up to the budget workshops, he said.

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at efitzgerald@freedomenc.com