Jordin Alexander is the Chief of Staff for Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, and she presented the steps required to create a city-wide trash collection service through a private sector contract.  The earliest any program would likely begin would be the first quarter of 2025.

Alexander provided rates nearby cities have obtained through a city-wide contract.  Carmel’s contract with Republic costs residents $14.70 per month in 2024, but slowly rises each year to $18.25 a month in 2029.  Westfield’s pact with Waste Management is $12.93 per month in 2024 and is scheduled to be $13.23 a month in 2025.  The Noblesville agreement with Republic is $13.85 per month in 2024.

The city placed a survey online and had over 2,500 residents and 120 Homeowners Associations (HOAs) respond.  According to the residents survey, 41% said cost of service would be the most important aspect of any city-wide contract, 21% said customer service, 17% collection frequency and 3% the trash collector.  The HOA responses were similar.

According to the survey, 70% of residents are paying more than $21 a month for trash collection, 22% saying they pay $31-40, and 24% say they pay more than $41 a month.  Among the HOA responses, 62% pay more then $21 a month, 33% with rates of $12-20 per month and 5% with rates $8-12 monthly.

The mayor’s staff plans to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) this month, to be presented to the Board of Public Works & Safety for a vote in February.  Proposals would be received from trash company bidders in May.  June would be set aside for negotiations that would lead to a public hearing on a proposed contract in July.  A tentative contract approval would happen in August, with a City Council Rate Ordinance Public Hearing and vote.  Any new contract with city-wide rates would be implemented during the first 3 months of 2025.   The process could stop at any point before Council approval of a rate ordinance.

Councilors Pete Peterson and John Weingardt were members of the Fishers Town Council 10 years ago when the town went through this same process and rejected the bids due to what Peterson described as a “visceral” reaction from most residents at the time.

There were other comments on how the situation is much different now, with basically 2 trash collection firms serving Fishers, Republic and Waste Management.  Much of the price increases resulted once Waste Management bought Ray’s Trash Collection Service.

There are many details to be worked out, such as how to handle HOAs that have contracts in place now with trash collection firms.

The mayor’s office is moving forward with the process.  Let’s see how it goes this time.

You can view Jordin Alexander’s PowerPoint presentation to the City Council Wednesday night at this link.