BRADENTON — On Tuesday, Manatee County Commissioners received a staff update on ongoing conversations with the county’s contracted waste haulers to explore options or opportunities to improve the county's solid waste disposal services without significantly increasing customer costs. Based on the presentation and board discussion, bulk waste pickup service appears to be the most likely aspect of county waste collection that could change.
As the county’s existing waste hauler contract neared its expiration in 2023, commissioners directed staff to begin negotiations for updated service terms and rates under new contracts. With hauling contractors having experienced rising operating costs since the county’s original agreement in 2008, as well as expected and unexpected economic impacts—such as inflation following the pandemic—the rates for services offered decades earlier were no longer sustainable. This meant negotiations led to higher rates for overall service to the county, leaving then-commissioners to decide between raising rates for customers, decreasing service, or a mix to try to offset impacts on residents.
In 2023, commissioners voted to reduce twice-weekly trash pickup to once per week and to move the service from manual to automated. Commissioners in office at the time felt raising solid waste rates for customers as little as possible would ultimately be more important to residents and business owners than maintaining twice-a-week pickup, an option that staff explained negotiations revealed would significantly raise rates.
Initial rate changes hit customers later that year, and then in 2024, revised services and fees under the newly negotiated contract became effective.
The most significant change was the initial rise in residential utility rates from $14.33 to $23.65, followed by residents being issued a large 96-gallon assigned bin that was collected only one day per week. In addition, the county’s bulk trash collection was significantly reduced, going from an unlimited, fee-free service available year-round to an à la carte service that must be scheduled and is charged at $59 per item.
Since the new contracted trash services went into effect, there’s been significant public backlash, with people decrieing “paying more money for less service.” On January 27, the BOCC—three of whom were not in office when the new contract terms were negotiated and approved—mutually directed county staff to explore options offered by the contracted waste haulers to better accommodate residents’ criticisms and community needs.
During Tuesday’s BOCC meeting, Manatee County Director of Utilities Patrick Shea informed commissioners that those discussions had been productive and that, while the details were still preliminary, there appeared to be options the contractors would be willing to agree to. These options mainly affected bulk pickup.
After receiving staff presentation and considering multiple possible arrangements to improve bulk pickup, commissioners voted unanimously to direct staff to engage further with the contractors for final price on the updated service to include once a month, by zone, limited (two items or less) bulk pick, with a once annual (more than two items) costumer requested/scheduled bulk pick up.
Based on preliminary information, the proposed changes to bulk services could result in a minimal overall rate shift to customers, potentially less than a dollar or two per customer's monthly bill.
Click the video below to replay the staff presentation and update on the solid waste program, and to hear commissioner feedback and final direction to staff.
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kmskepton
How did they not recognize this was going to be a problem?
Thursday, February 12 Report this