Kent eyes one trash pick-up service provider

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By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

City-wide, coordinated trash pick-up will likely become a reality for Kent residents, as Kent City Council approved a proposal Wednesday to contract with one business for garbage removal.

Kent Service Director Gene Roberts presented council and members of the public with a review of a 48-page draft bid contract, which outlined requirements for having one trash hauling service handle all residential garbage pick-up for the entire city.

The proposal, most recently discussed in February, stemmed from a policy enacted by council to focus on improving quality of life in the city's neighborhoods. One specific issue related to the daily appearance of trash cans at the curb in all the city's neighborhoods. As a result, trash often overflows into city streets and garbage trucks are a common site.

Currently, 12 solid waste hauling companies are licensed to pick-up garbage in the city. Of those, 10 companies handle residential contracts. There is no city-wide regulation and individual residents are responsible for contracting with trash companies for disposal.

Roberts said contracting with one agency for a coordinated pick-up of the citizens' garbage would not only have an aesthetic impact, but the cost to residents could drop between 30 and 50 percent depending upon which agency was awarded the contract.

"We spent a lot of time talking to trash haulers," Roberts said.

The draft contract makes subscription with the city's contractor mandatory for all household residents. Commercial businesses, agricultural entities, institutional establishments and large residential complexes would be exempt and allowed to contract with any of the city's 12 licensed trash haulers.

Longmere Drive resident Karen Smith expressed concern about the potential for lost jobs and the resident's ability to ensure quality service when one company is granted a monopoly on service.

"The customer has no clout," Smith said.

Several of the city's licensed refuse haulers did not return calls for comment Wednesday. A representative of R&R Sanitation of Mogadore, which operates 25 trucks in northeast Ohio, preferred not to comment for this story.

Council voted unanimously to approve moving forward with coordinated city wide trash pick-up. Council members Jack Amrhein, Garret Ferrara and John Kuhar were absent. It is unclear when the contract will be bid or when the program will begin.

Councilwoman Heidi Shaffer said she sees a need for coordinated trash pick-up.

"I think this would vastly improve the appearance of the neighborhoods and I think that it's an economic development issue," Shaffer said.