Jupiter approves 8-year trash pickup contract with a 'surprising' low price. What to know
JUPITER — Four months after a near-breakup with its trash hauler of more than 40 years, Jupiter gave a preliminary green light to an eight-year contract with Waste Management after the company came in at nearly half the price of two other competitors in a public bidding process.
Residents in the town of about 61,000 will pay between $21 and $25 per month for trash pickup, up from $14.38 last year. The contract allows Waste Management to adjust the price each year up to 7% to account for inflation, rising fuel costs and other factors.
The contract maintains the current number of trash pickups per week:
Solid waste: Twice per week
Vegetative waste: Twice per week
Recycling: Once per week
Bulk waste: Once per week (twice in "charter neighborhoods" including Pine Gardens North and South, Sims Creek, Jupiter River Estates and other neighborhoods surrounding Indiantown Road).
The approval comes after weeks of agitation from town leaders that started in February when Waste Management proposed a new contract that raised trash pickup costs by $7.62 each month.
Jupiter Mayor Jim Kuretski called the 52.9% increase "exorbitant" and publicly lamented being forced to approve a one-year contract at the risk of losing trash service all together at the end of the month.
Weeks after approving the contract, which expires on March 1 next year, Jupiter published a request for proposals for alternative curbside trash pickup services.
The town got three proposals: One from Waste Management that proposed charging residents $22 per month, another from WastePro that proposed charging residents $42 per month, and a third from FCC Environmental Services that proposed charging residents $52 each month.
Quickly, Jupiter leaders appeared to back off their disappointment in Waste Management. They unanimously approved the 179-page contract on first reading on Tuesday.
The contract is slated for second reading on July 19. If approved, it will take effect on March 1, 2023 and expire on Sept. 30, 2031.
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David Dee, an attorney from Tallahassee-based Gardner, Bist, Bowden, Dee, LaVia, Wright, Perry & Harper, P.A hired by the town to shepherd the selection process, said he did not expect Waste Management to offer the lowest price.
He explained that historically, WastePro and FCC have been the most economic option for municipal trash hauling because they're both private companies unencumbered by shareholders and the stock market's volatility.
"I was quite surprised when Jeff and his crew gave you the lowest pricing," Dee said of government affairs director Jeff Sabin and Waste Management. "That's unusual. That, to me, spoke volumes about how much they want to keep you as a customer."
Will Jupiter go to roll carts to collect trash?
Waste Management's proposed contract shows the company wants to move to automated pickup, which requires just one crew member on each truck and standardizes garbage collection containers.
Automated systems require larger, 64- or 96-gallon trash bins provided by the waste management company. Jupiter residents are not currently required to use either town or Waste Management-issued trash bins.
Jupiter leaders have long been wary.
"I feel bad basically forcing (residents) to use a cart if they really don't want to," council member Cameron May said.
May added that Jupiter has many older residents who "maybe produce a Publix bag of trash a week."
Thomas Hernandez, the town's director of engineering, parks and public works, said Waste Management will offer semi-automated pickup and manual pickup for some neighborhoods in Jupiter, including the Abacoa area — where automated trucks may not fit as easily.
Hernandez also said Waste Management can arrange to manually empty garbage carts for residents who are physically unable to.
Waste Management's proposed contract includes charging customers who use rolling garbage carts provided by the company $22 per month, while customers who use garbage cans will pay $25 per month.
What about yard waste under the new contract?
Kuretski asked for clarification on yard waste pickup, which Waste Management limits to eight cubic yards per household per pickup.
He said that some streets in Jupiter pool their yard waste and wants to ensure it is still removed by the company.
Sabin said he would return to the second reading with clarification on vegetative waste next month, but that Waste Management haulers focus on "cleaning the curb" and not leaving any trash behind.
Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering northern Palm Beach County at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today!
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter approves Waste Management contract for trash pickup
