Ballwin Considers Giving Allied 10-Year Contract

An Allied Waste representative told the Ballwin Board of Aldermen this week that a proposed 10-year contract with the City is aimed at long-term security for the company as it expands its automated services.

Prior to Monday's council meeting, Tony Lamantia, a municipal account manager with Allied/Republic Services, told City Administrator Bob Kuntz in a letter that the proposal followed multiple meetings with the City over the last several months.

"With the assistance and active involvement of you and your staff, I am certain that you will agree that we have been successful in providing quality services to the citizens of your community," Lamantia said.

If the Ballwin council accepts the proposed contract, the City would stave off a monthly rate increase for picking up standard, 65 gallon trash containers to $20.83 scheduled under the current contract, which expires in 2015.

The proposal before council members includes a 2 percent rate increase in 2014, plus another 2 percent increase in 2016, a 1.5 percent increase in 2018, and 2 percent increases in 2019, 2021 and 2022. The City's existing contract, meanwhile, would increase rates by 4 percent over the next three years.

In addition to the set rates, the 10-year contract would include issuing residents their choice of 35 gallon, 65 gallon or 95 gallon trash containers—with monthly pickup charges of $18.03, $20.03 or $22.03 respectively—which Kuntz said should provide savings for some households.

"So small families that don't need larger containers, they're actually going to see a reduction in rates," Kuntz said Wednesday.

A new pickup schedule also would condense trash, recycling and yard waste pickup so they would occur on the same day. It also would eliminate twice-weekly solid waste pickup—a service Kuntz said only about 40 households in Ballwin use at an additional rate, which would align Ballwin with most local municipalities' once-a-week pickup, including Chesterfield and Creve Coeur.

"A lot of cities are going to once a week because it's just more efficient," Kuntz said.

Bob Kuntz said the city council last engaged in contract changes with Allied in April 2009, when the council extended the service provider's terms in order to help the company invest in automated services for recycling, and to provide recycling containers for residents, described as the "first phase" of the automation process; automation allows a single driver to remotely pickup waste, rather than requiring him to exit his vehicle, which Lamantia previously said almost doubles the number of households that can be visited in one shift.

According to Kuntz, an Allied representative said the cost of each automated truck exceeds $300,000.

Kuntz said he favored the proposal saying the contract would effectively cap waste disposal rates for residents.

"I would say at this point, at least on the surface, it appears to be beneficial for (Allied) to have a long term contract and for our residents to have costs made certain in an uncertain economic climate."

A public hearing about the proposed 10-year contract with Allied is scheduled to take place at the council's 7 p.m. meeting on April 23 at the .

Editor's Note: This article was last updated at 9:55 a.m. A previous version incorectly stated a scheduled rate increase percentage.