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2018/02/27 - Mayor's Column: Waste Management Contract

“An Open Door to O’Fallon”
A Weekly Note from Mayor Herb Roach
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I am a firm believer that when you spend money, you should always try to get the best value for the dollars you spend. So, that is why when it was time for our current waste hauling contract to expire, I asked that we go out to bid to see if we could continue or improve our service levels, and reduce the cost for our residents.

So, for the first time in over fifteen years, we went out to bid. We ended up with very good proposals from two of the largest trash haulers in the area, Waste Management and Republic Services. On February 20th the O’Fallon City Council approved a new contract with the winning vendor, Waste Management.

The new contract includes the same service levels and pick-up schedule as the current contract, but will include a lower rate. The negotiated first-year rate is $1.60 per month lower than the current rate residents are paying. The new contract will go into effect on April 1, 2018. More information can be found at https://www.ofallon.org/home/news/city-council-approves-new-contract-with-waste-management-%E2%80%93-residents-will-experience.

Prior to soliciting bids, I reached out to other communities and governmental bodies to see if we could work together to reduce costs. With the new contract, I am glad to say that we were not only able to save the City, and our residents money, but we were also able to help O’Fallon’s school districts and O’Fallon Township save money on their trash hauling.

Savings for O’Fallon citizens:

  • The new contract will save O’Fallon residents a total of approximately $192,000 in the first year.
  • Service rates in the first year will be reduced over 7% (Starting April 1, 2018).
  • Service rates for the next three years are all below the current rate.

Savings for the City of O’Fallon:

  • We will save over $250,000 per year by implementing new technology, and Waste Management’s help with waste disposal at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
  • Waste Management will pick up trash from ten bus stops in O’Fallon at no cost. This will help keep our city looking clean.

Savings for other local organizations:

  • O’Fallon District 90 and OTHS District 203 have informed me that they will be saving thousands with the new trash hauler contract.
  • O’Fallon Township has informed me that they will save nearly 40% on their waste hauling costs.

All of this, without changing or reducing the excellent services that the residents of O’Fallon deserve, and expect.

We hope to expand this type of joint purchasing into other services so that we can further reduce the costs to all that participate, and ultimately, to our residents and taxpayers.

As residents of O’Fallon, you should always be able to reach out to your elected officials and ask questions about what is happening in O’Fallon. Having open communications is important to me and something I care very deeply about. Thank you for reading, and please remember, my door is always open!