WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — Wausau’s public health and safety committee is sending a request for proposal on how best to update the city’s garbage collection to the city council.
The measure takes a look at the city’s current garbage and recycling collection services and would explore the possibility of going towards a fully automated collection system. “It allows the refuse and recycling hauler to pick up without leaving their vehicle. So you have one rolling cart for your refuse and one rolling cart for your recycling.” Wausau finance director Mary Anne Groat says the change would also allow the city to move to the co-mingled recycling collections that have spread across other municipalities in the Metro area.
The RFP starts by asking for a price on the current pickup system used by the city. Groat says that’s so the city can get a complete picture on costs. “Under that situation, there would be no change. Under the automated system, we’re asking for a 5, a 7 and a 10 year contract proposal so we can examine the costs and benefits of each one of those proposals.”
Committee chair Lisa Rasmussen says the current idea is to keep the garbage and recycling schedule the same, with garbage every week and recycling every two weeks. Curbside pickup for hazardous wastes like batteries, oil and other materials would no longer allowed, and would have to be collected for special clean up days or taken to the Marathon County Solid Waste facility in Ringle.
The new system would also mean a refinement for the old ‘pay as you throw’ idea of handling garbage service payments. According to Groat, “The council is submitting a referendum to move the service off the tax bill and on to a separate charge. And in that situation, if you talk to Weston or Rib Mountain, if you have a smaller cart, you pay a smaller fee.” Apartments would also have to comply with a restriction on using the residential bins. “Only up to four units would be able to participate, and the balance of the apartment complexes would have to contract out themselves for refuse and recycling.”
