What would trash service cost under a Fort Collins-Republic contract? Here's what to know.

Molly Bohannon, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

On Tuesday, Feb. 21, Fort Collins City Council will vote on whether to enter into a contract with Republic Services for the city’s waste collection.

Republic was selected out of three haulers for the city’s contract.

The Coloradoan reviewed the entire contract, which you can view here. But if you don't want to dig through all 60 pages, we've got an easy-to-read FAQ for subscribers at Coloradoan.com, covering 12 more questions on what the contract stipulates for everything from expected price increases to customer service requirements.

Otherwise, here are some things you'll want to know before council votes on it:

How much would service cost?

The draft contract shows the following prices, dependent on what size cart you opt into:

  • XS cart service (16 gallons): $11.10 a month

  • S cart service (35 gallons): $17.85 a month — the most commonly selected size

  • M cart service (65 gallons): $34.60 a month

  • L cart service (95 gallons): $51.35 a month

  • XL cart service (2 x 95 gallons carts): $101.60 a month

These prices include the $1.35 city administrative fee, and the contract stipulates Republic cannot add additional fees.

Most of these prices are lower than what is currently offered by Republic, except for the large cart, which would cost an additional $4.03. The extra-large cart isn’t currently offered.

If you already pay for yard trimmings or bulky items in addition to trash and recycling, or both, costs would be anywhere from 14% to 72% lower, according to a city news release.

Bills will come quarterly.

Can I opt out?

Yes. Households can opt of the city-Republic service out for a monthly fee of $11.10 if they’d like to use a different hauler.

If I live in an HOA, will I be affected?

It depends on your neighborhood. Homeowners associations that have existing trash contracts that comply with the city’s “Pay-As-You-Throw” and yard trimmings requirements that were in effect prior to the date the Republic contract is signed are permitted to continue with their existing contracts.

HOAs can opt into city service, though, if they choose.

HOAs that contract for service on their own will be required to offer optional collection of yard trimmings.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How much trash pickup will cost under Fort Collins-Republic contract