The Fountain Hills Town Council has approved a new five-year contract with Allied Waste/Republic Services for residential curbside solid waste collection service. This continues the relationship the town has had with Allied Waste since 2010.

Customers will see an increase in cost for the service, the first time since the original agreement. The cost of once weekly trash and recycling collection will go from $11.58 to $14.37 per month. Those who receive twice weekly trash collection will now pay $19.37, up from $16.64. The cost of the weekly green waste collection will remain at $15, and on-call bulk pick-up also will not change and remain $50 per six cubic yards.

These increases reflect an average annual increase of approximately three percent over the eight years of the original contract.

The new agreement includes an automatic 3-percent escalator each year.

With the Allied Waste contract coming to an end the town issued a request for proposals and received three responses. Town environmental and facilities director Raymond Rees told the council that an evaluation team looked at the proposals and scored each based on the same criteria. Allied had the highest score.

Rees said the new agreement also comes with an expanded scope of services. Allied Waste will conduct the annual household hazardous waste collection event. That will provide for the collection of hazardous products that collect around the house. An electronics collection event will also be held.

The company is also providing for an annual bulk curbside collection event. The hazardous waste and electronics events will be conducted at a central location. The bulk curbside collection will be done by zone reflecting the regular waste collection services.

These services added to the contract will allow the town to eliminate the cost of the hazardous waste collection ($41,000) and electronics collection ($750), saving the town about $42,000 annually.

Marek Crabbs, area director for customer services for Republic, reminded the council that the company is a nationwide provider with 32,000 employees across the country and 1,500 employees in Arizona.

Crabbs said they are the largest recycling processor in Arizona, having over the past year acquired the Salt River recycling plant at Gilbert Road and the Beeline Highway.

He talked about the Republic Rewards grant which provides a $10,000 grant annually to a local community service provider. Fearless Kitty Rescue was the winner of that grant for 2018 and received the check at the Jan. 15, council meeting.

Republic also participates in town events, providing event boxes for Make A Difference Day, Fourth at the Fountain, the ice rink for the holiday Stroll in the Glow and other town events and activities.

Crabbs also said the Fountain Hills agreement is lower that other Allied contracts in the Valley including Buckeye, Anthem and Lake Havasu City.

The council approved the new contract with a 7-0 vote.