The city of Merriam is moving its single trash hauler process forward.
On Monday, the Merriam City Council unanimously voted to approve a resolution of intent to organize a single waste hauler for residential services.
The vote was in line with new state statutes governing the process, which Merriam may be the first city to use specifically for waste haulers.
Rather than commit the city to a single waste hauler in the future, Monday’s approval serves as a formal notice to residents that the city is looking into going from a multi-hauler system to a single waste hauler.
The measure also gives city staff and a resident-led work group the go-ahead to organize a plan to establish a single waste hauler. Still, the city is months away from formally considering such a plan.
A resident work group is working on a plan
- Deputy City Administrator Caitlin Gard told the city council that the resident work group and city staff are working on a more specific plan for a single waste hauler.
- The plan will include details about what the city is looking for in a waste hauler.
- No details about the price of services or about the specific contractor will be in the plan developed by the resident work group.
- Gard confirmed that there are residents representing each of the city’s wards who are part of the work group.
A next step is anticipated in December
The resolution of intent officially kickstarted the process to develop an organized waste collection plan in Merriam.
City staff and the resident work group will work on the plan over the next two months.
Here’s a look at the rest of the timeline, as outlined in city documents:
- The city council will host a public hearing and consider the work group’s organized waste collection plan on Dec. 9.
- If approved, then that plan will be used to solicit bids from waste haulers to become Merriam’s single citywide waste hauler.
- Then, by April 2025, the city council will consider an ordinance that establishes the specific waste hauler and cost, as determined through the bidding process.
- If the city council approves the ordinance, then an 18-month clock will start to allow all residents time to cancel their individual waste services and join the city’s new single waste hauler.
The city is still taking feedback online
- The resolution of intent is the city’s formal notice to residents that it is looking into a single waste hauler.
- Still, Councilmember Jason Silvers and Mayor Bob Pape said they both have had conversations with residents who are unaware that the city is looking into moving to a single waste hauler.
- The timeline for the single waste hauler process specifies that information about the process will be included in the city’s seasonal magazine.
- Gard confirmed that residents can still provide feedback on the city’s designated webpage.
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