Three waste removal contractors submitted bids to provide citywide trash and recycling for the City of Fishers, and after a review of the proposals, city officials have recommended a 10-year contract with Republic Services.
Chief of Staff Jordin Alexander gave a presentation during the July 23 Fishers Board of Works meeting and said Republic rose to the top, in part, because the company already provides services to 60 percent of the Fishers market. Priority Waste offered competitive rates in its proposal, she said, but the company currently has zero percent of the Fishers market.
The third company, Waste Management, proposed the highest rates across the board.
Alexander said the recommended contract with Republic would mean a monthly $16.39 cost for households in the first year, with costs increasing each year of the contract. She noted that nearly half of Fishers households now pay more than $30 a month for waste removal.
“One monthly rate of $16.39 is a lower monthly rate for nearly 85 percent of residents,” she said. “Furthermore, if you go all the way down to year 10, that $26.89 amount — that is still substantially lower than about what 50 percent of residents are currently paying.”
The monthly cost and yearly increases would be fixed in the contract. That means Republic wouldn’t be able to charge more, even if fuel costs rise substantially.
The monthly cost would include weekly trash pickup and biweekly recycling, an option for “snowbirds” to pause collection when they leave for the winter, extra leaf and yard waste pickup in April and November and bulk-item removal by appointment.
The City of Fishers would oversee billing for trash services, but the company would be responsible for all other customer services. Mayor Scott Fadness said the city likely still would get calls about service problems — which it does now — but a contract would provide leverage to make sure problems are addressed. He added that HOA residents should see a reduction in their monthly dues.
“A lot of our HOAs do bill for trash, and so if we’re going directly to the homeowner for that, there’s a conversation between the residents and the HOA about what their HOA dues look like moving forward,” he said.
There was no vote following the July 23 presentation. A public hearing on the contract is planned for the next Board of Works meeting, set for 9 a.m. Aug. 13 at the Fishers Municipal Center theater, 1 Municipal Dr. A final recommendation will go to the Fishers City Council in the fall.
For more, visit FishersIN.gov/Trash.
