Politics & Government

Council to Vote on Trash Contract that Would Bring 64-Gallon Carts

Last month, the city asked for input from residents as city leaders weighed different contract options with varying degrees of service and cost.

After weeks of soliciting input and mulling options, the Newport City Council appears poised to approve a new, $1.7 million per-year contract with Waste Management for trash and recycling services that will deliver new 64-gallon bins to residents and usher in automated waste collection.

Last month, the city asked for input from residents as city leaders weighed different contract options with varying degrees of service and cost. 

In a letter to the mayor and City Council, City Manager Jane Howington is recommending the city approve a contract that would reportedly save the city $250,000 per year and includes cart-based collection.

The contract would not require residents to buy pay-as-you-throw bags — an option outlined in the less expensive options — but bulky waste would be sticker-based, which means residents would have to pay extra for bulky waste removal.

In the March 31 memo, Howington said the city will pay for the bins in the first year of the contract. That amounts to $959,685. 

The contract, if approved, would cover collection of trash and recyclables that fit into the 64-gallon bins and pickup would occur weekly.

In addition, Waste Management — the sole bidder to respond to the city's request for proposals — will provide on-street litter barrel collection service that will bring 45 new solar powered trash and recycling stations to the city.

Yard waste collection and roll-off and dumpster on-call service for schools and city buildings would remain unchanged.

The contract is estimated to cost the city $1.7 million per year in year one, not including the $958,000 for the carts. 

According to figures released by the city earlier this year, the total cost for the contract over the five year term would be about $6.7 million.

Advocates for cart-based collection tout the bins' effectiveness at keeping rodents at bay thanks to attached lids that simultaneously prevent litter caused by wind and scavengers. 

"In addition to the cost savings, this contract will provide many benefits to the City of Newport such as cleaner streets, improved recycling opportunities and more orderly and uniform collection procedures," Howington said. 

Underlying any new initiative is a desire on the part of city officials to boost recycling rates. Cities and towns across Rhode Island are trying to meet  the 35 percent recycling rate goal set by the state. The idea is to not only increase recycling rates and reduce the amount of trash that ends up in the Central Landfill in Johnston, but also to save money. The higher the city’s recycling rate, the lower the tipping fee, or rate that a community pays to dispose of trash.

Last year, the city had a recycling rate of 23.5 percent – the highest it ever seen, but that’s far from the 35 percent goal – and well below the 25- to 29 percent it must meet to start getting incentive discounts on the tipping rate.

Find out what's happening in Newportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The contract is part of a combined service bid between the city and the town of Middletown but no bidder responded to the combined bid proposal, Howington said. As a result, Newport negotiated the terms of the contract with Waste Management individually.

The contract will run from July 1 of this year to June 30 of 2019.

The rollout of the carts and new pay-as-you-throw sticker system for bulky waste will be gradual to allow Waste Management time to buy equipment and reorganize its services. It also gives the city time for community outreach and education.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here