The city will be opening its trash and recycling contract to qualified companies next year.
That was a change to the City Council’s list of priorities approved at the Nov. 27 council meeting. Derby has a 10-year contract with Waste Connections that is due to expire Dec. 1, 2019.
“We need to issue an RFP (request for proposals) soon to ensure other companies have an opportunity to compete,” Sexton said.
The objective is to have a contract in place by May, City Manager Kathy Sexton said.
The early lead time is necessary because of the equipment required to provide service to Derby residential customers. There are about 10,000 household customers and that would mean providing 20,000 carts.
There will likely be two or three companies bidding on it, Sexton said, including the major trash operators.
The city previously had multiple trash services to choose from, which is the system its northern neighbor, Wichita, operates under.
Now, there’s just one, which Sexton said allows residents to get lower rates. She said residents are getting trash and recycling for less than what they paid for just trash before.
(Read more: Derby News | derbyinformer.com)