The idea to bring a single citywide trash hauler Merriam may soon come to fruition.
The Merriam City Council during a Monday work session directed city staff to negotiate a single waste hauler contract with GFL Environmental Inc., a Canadian waste hauler that services several other northeast Johnson County cities.
Out of four companies that offered bids, GFL came in as the lowest bidder at just more than $830,000 a year. That contract would translate to a monthly cost of about $23 per residence (about $3 more to cover administrative costs, as allowed in state statute).
Nearly a year ago, prompted by a community survey, the city embarked on an effort to move from a system in which residents individually select their solid waste provider to a single, citywide contract.
Since July 2024, the city council has been moving through the process, including establishing a plan that outlines what it wants from a single waste hauler.
Now, city staff will negotiate a five-year contract with GFL that the city council anticipates considering at its April 28 meeting.
Still, no final decisions have been made.
The city is working to send a postcard to Merriam homes in the next week or so answering frequently asked questions about the single trash hauler idea.
Additionally, there is still time for the public to share feedback online here or at two city council meetings next month.
How did we get here?
- In July 2024, the city council expressed cautious support for exploring the idea of a single waste hauler.
- By October, the city council took its first step to officially start the single waste hauler process by unanimously approving a resolution of intent to organize a single waste hauler for residential services.
- This resolution only served as a formal notice to residents that the city was looking at going from a multi-hauler system to a single waste hauler.
- A special work group created an organized collection plan or an established set of expectations from a potential single waste hauler. The city council approved that plan in December 2024 to take the plan out to bid.
Council directs staff to negotiate with GFL
Deputy City Administrator Caitlin Gard said the special work group did not come to a unanimous recommendation for the city council after reviewing the bids.
Ultimately, the city council on Monday agreed to direct staff to negotiate a citywide trash hauler contract with GFL.
GFL actually submitted two bids, which were the lowest and second lowest bids, respectively, coming in at $830,000 and $865,000.
Here is a look at some details of the company’s lower bid:
- It will cost $19.50 per month per residence, which comes to less than $250 a year for solid waste services.
- The company does not offer 35-gallon bins, only 65-gallon bins. An extra bin is available for residences for an additional $10 a month.
- GFL will offer large-item pickups three times a month.
- The company will pick up trash in Merriam four days a week.
- Used Christmas tree pickup around the holidays is included at no extra charge.
The city council did express concerns about GFL — and two other companies — not offering a 35-gallon trash bin.
The only company to offer a 35-gallon bin in the bid was Texas-based Waste Management, which was also the highest bidder at about $1.5 million per year for a citywide contract.
Monday’s presentation before the city council is embedded below. A look at the bids from four trash companies can be found on page 9.
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Open in new tab The discussion spurred hesitation from council
- Gard shared a drafted postcard with the city council that provided answers to the public’s top five questions about the single trash hauler option, such as what company the city is looking at and how much it will cost. The city is mailing the postcards to residents within the next week.
- Councilmember Chris Evans Hands said reading the original postcard “makes me uncomfortable” because it sounds like the city had already made a final decision about the single trash hauler.
- Councilmember Staci Chivetta, who also expressed concerns with the postcard’s wording, said the Monday night conversation itself concerned her because the agenda failed to mention that the city council would discuss a company to begin contract negotiations with.
- Chivetta said her concern is that the postcard and Monday night’s conversation give the impression that a concrete decision has been made and no other feedback will be taken.
- “I want to make sure we’re as transparent as possible,” Chivetta said. “This is a very big decision we’ve been talking about for a long time, and we could get into this meeting in April and it like, completely blows in our faces if we’re not transparent about it.”
- City staff and the city council edited the postcard until it was clear that no final decisions had been made and there were still opportunities for public input.
Next steps:
- Next month, the city council is anticipated to consider both an ordinance moving the city to a single trash hauler system as well as a contract with GFL. Neither has been finalized at this point.
- The first reading of the ordinance is scheduled for April 14, with a second reading and potential final action on April 28.
- The GFL contract is expected to go before the city council on April 28, as well.
- There is always an opportunity for public comment at city council meetings.
- Those who wish to provide feedback before the April meetings or in addition to the April meetings can do so online here.
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