Going into its regular council meeting Tuesday September 8, 2020, the River Falls Common Council was set to pass a resolution that would approve a five-year contract extension with Advanced Disposal. After being contracted with the trash disposal company since 2010 with the last contract entered into on September 22, 2015. The current contract between Advanced Disposal and the City of River Falls is set to expire on December 31, 2020, though a five-year extension of the contract is allowed under a clause entitled “Exhibit A.” The resolution under consideration at Tuesday night’s council meeting would allow for this contract extension to be made.

With market demand reportedly falling for recycled products, the rates for Advanced Disposal handling of city refuse have gone up accordingly. River Falls city staff have negotiated a new price structure that would seek to keep the pickup for every week in line with expressed wishes by members of the public, as opposed to every other week as some municipalities have switched to. Detailed in the city council packet are the following yearly rates for disposal.

From a current monthly fee of $14.40, the monthly rate would increase to $17.00 per month in 2021, $17.50 in 2022, and $18.00 in 2023. The monthly disposal rates for 2024 and 2025 would include the previous year’s rate plus the Midwest Consumer Price Index for Water, Sewer and Trash.

After staff research by City of River Falls employees, comparison is made in the packet with contracted waste management costs for Prescott and Ellsworth through P. I. G.

Detailed in the comparison are staff findings that Prescott residents currently pay monthly fees of $19.05 for 35 gallons, $20.73 for 64 gallons, and $24.76 for 96 gallons. Ellsworth using the same carrier as Prescott pays $18.03 for 35 gallons, $19.71 for 64 gallons, and $23.73 for 96 gallons.

In addition to a rate comparison with other municipalities, the memorandum in the city packet preceding states that River Falls is the only city of those listed (Hudson, North Hudson, Prescott, Ellsworth, Somerset, Osceola, and New Richmond) to offer Spring and Fall cleanup. Under the proposed five-year extension of the contract, tonnage fees associated with the twice a year cleanup would not be covered, while the Compost and Recycling or CORE fee of $1.25 per month would remain unchanged as present, being a separate line item on the utility charge bill.

City staff recommended approval of the resolution extending the five-year contract with Advanced Disposal based on it providing service consistency at a rate which staff felt was a good value when compared to other area municipalities. If approved, the new contract will be in force until 2025.