| Updated: 1/30 2:49 pm |
Published: 1/26 6:52 pm
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Future trash service for the City of Tulsa started taking shape Thursday, as the city's trash board made some big decisions.
Tulsa Authority for the Recovery of Energy, also known as the trash board, decided the entire city will have once-a-week pickup service when the new trash contracts take effect, but people can pay a few extra bucks each month to opt in to twice-a-week pickup service.
Tulsa's current trash contract will expire on July 1, and the new contracts will take effect at the same time.
Tulsa's trash operation is divided into three separate services, with a different contractor controlling each service. The first is the collection of trash and recyclables from homes. The second is disposal of waste, and converting it into renewable energy. The third service is processing and marketing of recyclable material.
Thursday, the TARE board awarded the waste disposal contract to Covanta, and the recycling processing contract to American Waste Control. Both companies are locally based.
"We're a local company," Tom Hill, CEO of American Waste Control, said. "We live here. We play here. We use the restaurants here. So our money stays here."
"We've employed over 40 new jobs since March. I can see with our upgrade, we're going to have new jobs available, with this recycling and with our partnership with the city."
But deciding on a trash collection contractor was a bit more difficult Thursday.
The TARE board recommended awarding that contract to Northeast Waste Solutions, also known as NeW Solutions. But NeW Solution's bid was based on a plan for the city to buy the trash and recycling carts, which will be the basis of any new trash collection contract.
But the Tulsa City Council has to approve the plan for the city to buy the carts, because of the necessity to finance the estimated $14.5 million purchase. If the council approves the city purchasing the carts, NeW Solutions will be awarded the contract.
If the council decides not to allow the city to buy the carts, the TARE board would then award the contract to its second choice, Republic, which included the cost of the company buying the carts in its bid.
Cheryl Cohenour, chairwoman of the TARE board, said the city's tax-exempt status would allow the city to buy the carts significantly cheaper, which would save the city an estimated $1.2 million per year for eight years.
The city council was expected to vote on whether to allow the city to buy the carts at Thursday night's regularly scheduled council meeting, but postponed the vote for another two weeks.
The rates Tulsa residents will pay for the new trash service is also still up in the air, because the rates are largely based on which bidding company is awarded the contract. NeW Solutions, however, did submit the cheapest bid.
