Ballwin to Seek 7-Year Contract for Trash, Waste Pickup

The Ballwin Board of Aldermen agreed Monday night to seek a 7-year contract with Allied Waste, the city's service provider for trash, recycling and yard waste pickup.

The decision follows requests from Allied Waste representatives to extend Ballwin's current contract to 10 years.

The proposal that was before the board included 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 annually 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.

Ballwin resident Carol Maguire was among the guests present at Monday’s meeting with concerns about the terms of Allied’s proposed contract.

Maguire said eliminating the option for twice weekly pickup, which city staff previously estimated is used by about 40 households in Ballwin, would become troublesome for her home.

“I’m not certain the six to eight bags of trash we put out on a weekly basis will fit into one of the 90 gallon containers,” Maguire said.

Maguire also took issue with different pricing for each household depending on the size of the trash containers used.

"I don’t see any real reason there shouldn’t be standard prices across the board,” Maguire said.

Ballwin resident Gary Krueger took issue with the contract as a whole, largely because of its proposed lifespan.

“In all likelihood, only a few of you if any of you will be here in 10 years. And yet we’re talking about locking Ballwin into a proposal that can’t be altered, as far as I’m concerned,” Krueger said.

Krueger also objected on the basis that residents would be paying for service in advance of pickup.

“There’s no benefit to us. There’s no benefit to Ballwin. It’s only a benefit to the company,” Krueger said. “To me, it’s just an unconscionable way to do business.”

Tony Lamantia, a municipal account manager with Allied/Republic Services, defended the 10-year proposal Monday saying that fuel prices and other costs were “locked in.”

“As for why we do bill in advance,” Lamantia said. “We have a lot of bad debt. We have a lot of people who don’t pay you. I’ve got to stay in business, and that’s why we do the billing ahead.”

Alderman Shamed Dogan was among the board members who challenged an extended contract with Allied Waste.

“The only reason that I think of that they came to us at this tims is … so they can lock us in,” Dogan said. “But if (their) costs go down even further, then we’ll be missing out on huge savings.”

Following Monday's hearing on the contract, Mayor Tim Pogue said city staff should contact Allied Waste and request a 7 year contract with optional 1 year extensions. Pogue said the new contact also should include a recomendation by the city attorney for a short grace period in the first month of the contract or possibly longer where the City may back out of the new terms.

The council is scheduled to next meet Monday, May 14.