Tecumseh considering trash, recycling changes. Here's what we know.

TECUMSEH — It might be time for Tecumseh residents to think about making room for a pair of 96-gallon trash and recycling containers at their homes.

About half of the households in the city have already received a trash tote from Stevens Disposal and Recycling Service since the city signed its current trash collection contract in 2021, and the city gets about three requests each week for trash totes to be provided, city manager Dan Swallow told the city council on Monday during a study session. But Stevens has approached the city about amending the contract, which runs into 2026, to distribute trash and recycling totes to every household.

After discussing the proposal from Stevens, the council directed Swallow to work out a formal amendment to bring back for the council’s consideration.

Why would trash pick-up need to change?

Swallow said as Stevens buys new trucks it is only buying models that have a hydraulic arm that lifts and empties the totes. He said Stevens is also facing challenges in hiring people to work as the assistant who rides on the back of the truck and collects trash bags and other refuse. By providing every household with totes, only a driver would be needed. This is an industry trend, he said.

When the current contract was negotiated, it was left up to each household whether to ask for a trash tote or keep putting garbage bags at the curb. There were concerns, particularly among some older residents and others who have mobility problems, with being able to maneuver the wheeled totes to and from the curb each week. Others felt the totes would be an eyesore. It also was suggested that easing into having totes would let people get used to how they look and work.

City officials in 2021 also negotiated the price the city pays per trash tote down to 50 cents per month, which would add up to about $18,000 per year if every household had one, Mayor Pro Tem Brian Radant said. The city has to order more than 700 totes at a time, so it pays for them whether they are sitting at the Department of Public Works waiting to be distributed or at homes being used.

Under Stevens’ proposal, it would provide the recycling totes to the city for free, Swallow said, and keep the 50 cents per trash tote the same.

The city also would keep its current, unlimited bulk item collection, Swallow said. Yard waste collection would remain the same, too.

Recycling changes

Recyling collection would switch to every other week, but the current 18-gallon bins would be replaced with 96-gallon totes that are just like the trash totes except they have a green lid. Swallow said having the covered totes would address problems with recyclable materials blowing out of the smaller, uncovered bins on windy days.

Overall, the city is paying Stevens $15.28 per residence per month for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, according to the current contract. That works out to $183.36 per year for each residence.

How does trash service work in Tecumseh?

Unlike some nearby communities, Tecumseh does not bill residences separately for trash service. The city pays for it out of the regular operating millage that property owners pay. This past summer, Raisin Township negotiated a contract to have Stevens be its sole trash and recycling service provider, charging homeowners $55.50 per quarter, or $222 a year. Adrian city residents are billed $240 a year for trash and recycling service from Stevens.

What if I can't roll the totes to the curb?

In response to a question about what a change would mean for people who can’t roll the totes to and from the curb, Swallow reviewed the current contract and said it has a provision where Stevens' drivers will go up to a residence, but not inside, to get the totes. He suggested the city could use whether someone qualifies to use handicap parking as the criteria for whether Stevens’ drivers would go get the totes.

Distributing totes to every household would free up some staff time that now goes to tracking who has totes. Swallow and city clerk Tonya Miller said city staff track tote usage through spreadsheets and the city’s tax assessing software.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Tecumseh considering trash pick-up service, recycling changes