St. Louis County Council to Decide on Extending Contract Length for Waste Haulers

The St. Louis County Council has postponed decision on a bill that would extend the length of contracts with its waste haulers from three to five years.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Second District Councilwoman Kathleen Kelly Burkett requested that the measure be placed on hold until all members of the council were present to vote on it. Fourth District Councilman Michael O’Mara, the bill’s sponsor, was absent from the meeting.

Last week, the council tentatively approved the bill on a 4-to-3 vote. Council members Colleen Wasinger, Third District, Steve Stenger, Sixth District, and Greg Quinn, Seventh District, cast the opposing votes.

The bill would regulate trash contracts for waste haulers in unincorporated Affton. The city of Shrewsbury has its own trash contracts.

As part of the county’s waste management code, officials in 2008 established eight trash districts for unincorporated areas to provide for unified waste collection, recycling and bulky trash pickup services. The creation of the districts enabled the county to negotiate contracts with haulers in hopes of receiving better rates for residents.

However, the move sparked controversy and a number of lawsuits from both residents who felt their right to choose a hauler had been denied and from hauling companies that bid on, but did not receive contracts from the county.

“I wasn’t on the council when this was approved, but many in my district were very unhappy because they felt it was going to create a monopoly for the larger haulers,” Stenger said in an interview. “If the length of the contracts are extended, the smaller companies will find it difficult to compete.”

Meanwhile, others say longer contracts would result in better pricing and save residents money.

“If gas prices keep going up like they are, it would be beneficial for us to lock in rates,” Burkett said in an interview. “I can’t imagine it not being beneficial.”

The current hauling contracts are set to expire Sept. 30, said John Haasis, manager of the county’s solid waste program. Allied Waste and IESI provide collection services for about 80,000 households in unincorporated St. Louis County. He added that haulers had recommended that the county extend the length of the contracts.

“Typically, the longer the contract, the better the pricing,” Haasis said.  “The haulers also indicated that it would be easier to price out the purchase of additional equipment with a longer contract and would allow smaller companies to compete. We’ll see what happens.”

The council's next meeting is scheduled for March 22.