The City of St. Ignace is considering three proposals from area waste haulers to provide contracted trash and recycling services to city residents, and the city's Solid Waste committee plans to meet at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 13, in City Hall to meet with all three companies that provided proposals and discuss which option to accept.

Waste Management, the city's current waste hauler based locally in Sault Ste. Marie, Republic Waste of Onaway, and Smith Sanitation of Rudyard all submitted proposals to the city, as the current contract with Waste Management will expire February 1.

Waste Management

Gives Four Options

Waste Management submitted four options for trash and recycling services to the city committee. The first option, offering similar services to those currently contracted, allows for a senior citizen one-can rate of $3.86 per month, a general one-can rate of $8.14 per month, a three-can rate of $11.76 per month, twice-amonth curbside recycling for an additional $1 per month, and a one-yearly bulk item pick-up for three items like couches and mattresses.

The second option offers the same services but with a change to the bulk item pick-up from three large items to up to two yards of material, which could include both large items and boxes or bags of smaller items. Pricing for the second option is slightly higher, at $4.84 for senior citizens, $9.12 for one can, and $12.74 for three cans.

The third option would provide each resident with either a 64-gallon or a 96-gallon cart, owned by Waste Management, instead of forcing residents to buy their own trash cans. This option includes twice-a-month recycling for a $1 per month additional fee, and an annual bulk item pick-up for three large items. Senior citizen 64-gallon

service would be $5.21 per month under this plan, general 64- gallon service would be $9.49, and 96-gallon service would be $13.11.

The fourth option Waste Management offered the city is identical to the third option with Waste Management carts instead of cans, except the bulk item pickup could include two yards of material in place of three large items. The cost for senior citizen service would be $6.19 per month, 64-gallon service would be $10.47, and 96-gallon service would be $14.09.

The $1 fee per month for recycling would be added to every bill for every trash customer.

Representatives from Waste Management said the company would continue to partner with the city to provide free dumpsters during special events downtown, although it would not be included in the contract. In the proposal, Waste Management also agrees to open the transfer station a minimum of two days a week during hours agreed upon with the city, an increase over hours available now.

Currently, Waste Management has posted hours at the transfer station from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. once a week on Wednesdays from April 1 through September 30, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month from October 1 through March 31. Each day it is open, the station is closed for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

The proposal also maintains that Waste Management could increase rates by up to 4% each year after the contract's first year, owing to possible increasing costs of doing business. Fuel costs could also result in an additional surcharge, according to the proposal, which would add a 2% increase if diesel fuel prices rise above $3/gallon, a 4% increase if the price is above $3.25/gallon, a 5% increase if the price is above $3.50/gallon, and an additional 1% increase for every 25¢/gallon increase in fuel price.

Representatives from Waste Management said these price escalators are meant to allow for lower rates while protecting the company in case costs increase. These percentages would continue to be negotiated with the city, representatives from the company said, if St. Ignace opts to go with one of Waste Management's proposals.

Smith Sanitation Would Pick

Up All Trash Thursdays

Smith Sanitation has offered to provide weekly trash service on Thursdays, a twice-monthly curbside recycling program, give the city up to five dumpsters with weekly pick-up and up to 12 dumpsters for special events, maintain a transfer station open twice a week for six hours per day, and an annual bulk item pickup, which the company plans to charge the city for at a rate of $100 per hour per truck and a disposal fee of $60 per ton.

The rates offered by Smith Sanitation are $5 per month for senior citizen one-can service, $9.35 for a single family one-can service, and $12.89 for a threecan service. Weekly trash pick-up would be on Thursdays across the city, and curbside recycling services would be offered on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

The proposal also included an optional 3% annual price increase, dependent on changes to the cost of doing business.

Republic Plan Would Move

Transfer Station to DPW Yard

Republic Services has proposed a waste collection program to the city that would include two size options for trash service, an annual bulk item pick-up day, curbside recycling every other week, and 14, 30-yard dumpsters for special events.

Instead of maintaining a transfer station in the area, Republic Services suggested the city maintain a bulk garbage facility at its Department of Public Works yard, with two 30-yard dumpsters pro- vided by Republic Services. In this scenario, the city would be responsible for charging residents for trash drop-offs and Republic would charge the city $850 for each dumpster it fills.

Two options presented to the city by Republic Services were weekly trash service with a 65- gallon cart and every other week recycling service for $16.01 per customer per month, or a 95-gallon cart and every other week recycling service for $18.59 per customer per month. These prices are subject to an annual 4% increase for inflation, according to the proposal.

In the proposal, there is also a fuel surcharge of 7¢ per unit, which would be added quarterly to the price for each 20¢ increment that diesel fuel rises above a base rate of $3 per gallon.

The St. Ignace Solid Waste Committee plans to meet with all three haulers in a public meeting Wednesday, January 13, at City Hall.

City Manager Eric Dodson said a decision on which waste hauler will be taking over the city contract could be made at this time. If the committee decides to recommend a particular hauler at this meeting, the issue would go before the full City Council for approval at its meeting at 8 p.m. Monday, January 18.