The Clarendon City Council unanimously approved changing its solid waste service from Waste Connections to Republic Services during a called meeting on June 24.
Waste Connections, which inherited its contract with Clarendon in 2023 when it bought out Diversified Waste Management, has been the subject of citizens’ complaints for about a year now due to missed pick-ups and damaged trash bins. Company representatives have worked with the city for the last several months trying to solve those problems while stating that they were losing money in Clarendon under the current contract.
Bids for trash service were opened at the June 12 regular meeting, but the city council decided to take up the issue at a called meeting so aldermen could have time to review both companies’ proposals.
Speaking at the June 24 meeting, Matthew Peterson spoke for Republic and gave the highlights of his company’s proposal. Republic would replace Clarendon’s fleet of Dumpsters and follow a schedule of picking up residential accounts on Tuesday and Thursday and commercial accounts on Monday and Wednesday with a possible third day of service to help keep up with trash at the public school and the college.
Peterson also touted Republic’s commitment to being involved in the communities it serves and said the company has the largest fleet of trucks in the industry.
Both companies would increase their rates based on the Consumer Price Index annually. Waste Connections would also impose a fuel surcharge where Republic would not.
Clarendon currently has a residence to Dumpster ratio of 4-1, where the industry standard is closer to 2-1. Republic based its bid on the current 4-1 ratio, and Waste Connections based its bid on moving to a 2-1 ratio. Republic representatives gave an adjusted price for a 2-1 ratio for comparison. The city did not say it would pursue the 2-1 ratio but will work with Republic to see where consolidating Dumpsters might be effective.
Republic’s five-year contract with the city will begin October 1.
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