The city is looking at options for a potential new landfill and during their April 5 meeting will consider approving a professional services agreement with Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., AE2S, not to exceed $155,217.

City staff are proposing to retain AE2S and their sub-consultant Jacobs, formerly CH2M Hill, to conduct the first phase of a solid waste study.

The overall study is a “planning level feasibility study which evaluates alternatives for city solid waste disposal,” according to the staff report.

Currently, trash is picked up by the city public works, solid waste division, and disposed of at the High Plains landfill, which is owned and operated by Republic Services Inc., formerly Montana Waste Systems.

City proposing trash pickup rate increase

The disposal fees at the landfill have increased and are projected to continue increasing, according to city staff.

“Therefore, the city would like to compose a report that presents and evaluates alternative options for the city’s consideration for solid waste disposal, including privatization, maintaining the status quo, or constructing a new municipal landfill. Phase 1 of the study consists of a composition of feasible alternatives and performing a fatal flaw analysis or initial screening,” according to the staff report.

The city provides trash pickup service for residential and commercial users within the city, including a cardboard recycling service to commercial customers. Trash goes to the landfill, cardboard goes to Pacific Steel and Recycling.

City approves increased trash pickup rates [2020]

Republic Services also operates and maintains a private trash pickup service in the city and Cascade County.

The city had had an agreement to use the landfill since 2016, when it was owned and operated by Montana Waste Systems Inc., which is now Republic.

The stipulated compensation owed by the city for disposal is a base rate plus an annual escalation of 1 times the consumer price index times the base rate for the preceding year.

The pandemic resulted in an increase in the CPI, and per the February 2022 news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The all items index rose 7.9 percent for the 12 months ending February. The 12-month increase has been steadily rising and is now the largest since the period ending January 1982.”

Rate increase proposed for city trash collection [2019]

The landfill agreement stipulates that the base rate escalation percent increase cannot exceed 7 percent.

“Thus, the city could be facing significant base rate escalations for disposal in the forthcoming years due to an increasing CPI,” according to the staff report.

The study will look at the feasibility of constructing a new municipal landfill or transfer station, and other preliminary alternatives such as maintaining the status quo, privatizing the city’s solid waste market or other potential options as recommended by the consultants.

Increasing landfill fees driving proposed sanitation rate increases [2017]

The costs for solid waste disposal and maintenance will also be considered in the study, according to the staff report.

The High Plains landfill is located about eight miles northwest of the city, causing wear on the city’s vehicles making the trips for disposal.

The study will also consider the city’s internal waste streams and solid waste abatement programs and strategies.

The city solicited proposals from qualified firms in late 2021 for the study and received four proposals. Three interviews were conducted and AE2S was selected as the prefered consultant.

The first phase of the project is the screening level feasibility level review, which will be presented at a future City Commission work session, and the second phase will only move forward is the city determines there are viable alternatives to developing a city-owned waste facility, according to the staff report.

The second phase would include planning level design, financial analysis, ranking the selected alternatives, selecting the preferred alternative, developing a schedule and a final comprehensive study.

The consultant will conduct the study with assistance from the public works and finance departments.

The project has been planned in the city’s Public Works Capital Improvement Program and budgeted accordingly, according to staff.