Errin Kemper: A primary goal is protesting existing trash haulers where possible.
The city’s open competitive market waste management system is in a precarious position.
City staff and council members have in their hands an anticipated report that could soon determine the fate of local trash haulers.
The results of a commissioned study by Kansas City consulting firm Burns & McDonnell were presented during an April 18 City Council luncheon.
The three options presented in the report are:
• offering service agreements to existing haulers;
• splitting up the city’s trash collection into zones; and
• establishing franchises or licenses for targeted collection.
Representatives of the city’s 12-15 trash haulers are anxiously awaiting a decision.
“We as individual haulers want to continue to run our business,” said Victoria Ball of Moore’s Trash Services, 1864 N. Washington Ave.
Ball is concerned the city’s reforms wouldn’t have the best interests of the small-business owners in mind.
“I am not in favor of what they want to do,” Ball said. “Whether that be for downsizing or rezoning.”
Industry consolidation
City officials are scheduled to reconvene in 30 days after studying the options.
Uncertainties of Springfield’s waste management system, which dates back to 1991, were first discussed at a November council luncheon. From there, Burns & McDonnell, a national engineering and consulting firm, was hired “to take an objective look and help us study our current system to see what opportunities may exist,” said Errin Kemper, the city’s assistant director of environmental services.
The sector has consolidated in the city the last decade to the point where two national companies handle over half the city’s trash pickups. Republic Services Inc. and WCA Waste Corp. have grown market share largely through acquisitions.
The most recent was WCA’s purchase of Hometown Disposal in December. Owner Richard Brownsberger said he sold ahead of the study results because he foresaw restrictions coming down the pike.
“It was the uncertainty of the entire market,” he said. “Even if they split the town up into zones, you’re limited to growth.”
Brownsberger advised local haulers to stay involved in the decision-making process by making sure their voices are heard.
Systemic issues
City officials say they’ve heard multiple requests for enhanced community waste and recycling services that would result in consistent pricing, limited impact on infrastructure, and reductions in noise and traffic congestion. Kemper said different trash trucks drive down the same street, five days a week at various times of the day, and it often prompts complaints.
In addition, Kemper said stabilizing funding for the solid waste management system is a goal for the city.
“The majority of funding for these programs comes from tipping fees from the city-owned landfill,” Kemper said.
The city collects a $31 tipping fee for every ton of waste a trash hauler dumps at the landfill. Tipping fees represent 85 percent of the solid waste management system’s $6.5 million average annual revenue, Kemper said.
“It’s been consistent in a large part because the bigger haulers have to bring a certain amount of waste to our city’s landfill,” he said.
If they decided, however, not to enter into another hauling agreement with the city, Kemper said the haulers would stick to their own landfills, and the city would lose money.
“We need a long-term plan in place to try to stabilize that revenue, so that we can keep these programs going,” he said.
Recycling results
Burns & McDonnell has studied waste services for communities similar to Springfield.
“Based on field observations, Springfield looks about like what you’d expect in an open system,” Kemper said. “Residents along any given street have a variety of different trash haulers.”
According to Burns & McDonnell’s surveys with city residents, outside of WCA and Republic Services, 35 percent of trash pickup is by small hauling services. Roughly 13 percent of residents didn’t know which hauling service they use.
Additionally, the cost of service was the top concern among those polled. Springfield residents pay $10 to $16 a month for trash services, the survey showed.
When residents were asked which services they were most interested in, 49 percent identified bulk-item pickup and 30 percent said they wanted curbside recycling collection.
According to the study, of the 55 percent of area residents who recycle, 7 out of 10 deliver their recyclables to drop-off sites and 2 out of 10 utilize curbside recycling collectors.
“We’ve got an opportunity here. Making recycling more convenient should increase participation,” Kemper said. “This is important, because in addition to the environmental reasons we like recycling, it ultimately saves the community money.”
Recycling would divert more waste from going into the landfill and in turn reduce associated maintenance costs, Kemper said.
Additionally, surveys for the study revealed a majority of residents, 28 percent, said protecting existing haulers was the most important goal for the city to consider.
Some city business licenses for haulers go back over three decades, Kemper said.
“Springfield has a long history with its haulers,” he said. “I’d like to point out that going into this study, one of the primary goals was protecting the existing haulers where possible.”
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