2023 Waste Contract: Once-a-Week Garbage

By Chip Ross

The first reading of the city’s new agreement with Waste Management will be Tuesday, April 18, at the Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall. The full agreement can be viewed by pressing the link below, which connects to Item 8.1 of the meeting agenda.

Beginning January 2024, the new contract will provide residential garbage pickup, recycling pickup and bulk pick up once a week. Previously pickup for garbage was twice a week.

Due to significant cost increases in fuel, new equipment and wages, there will be a price increase. The price agreed upon would have increased approximately 20% more if twice weekly garbage pickup service were maintained.

Additionally, with once-weekly service there will be significantly less truck traffic, less air pollution and less “trash can clutter” on city streets. Short-term rentals for extra service will be offered at an additional cost.

The contract does not affect the yard waste pickup currently provided separately by the city.

If you have any further questions or concerns please contact me at [email protected] or 410-394-0220.

See the full agreement here.

21 Comments
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Dman
Dman(@darryl)
11 months ago

I can live with this, restaurants will still be more frequent.

Tom Duffy
Tom Duffy (@guest_68435)
11 months ago

The bill should be reduced to half if the pick-ups are reduced to half.

chip ross
chip ross(@chipross)
11 months ago
Reply to  Tom Duffy

After months of problems, and thousands of complaints, Port St. Lucie Florida, recently brought on a new waste hauler, but with a 50% increase in rates and a 50% reduction in collections. Drivers for trash haulers start at more than $80,000 per year plus benefits. Companies still cannot find enough drivers. I think the negotiated increased price with decreased frequency of service reflects the reality of the cost of providing trash removal today. 

Dman
Dman(@darryl)
11 months ago
Reply to  Tom Duffy

well, if you can find a waste hauler to bid at that price, please let us know.

John Findlay
John Findlay(@jfindlay)
11 months ago

Twice a week seems a luxury compared with most places. If the city can save money going to once a week, it makes sense.

Tom smith
Tom smith(@high-n-dry)
11 months ago
Reply to  John Findlay

Agree, except it would not be the city getting the savings it would be thousands of home owners. But if you don’t have other bidders you are stuck with what you got.

Ashley
Ashley (@guest_68577)
11 months ago
Reply to  John Findlay

city residents are charged on our tax bill…I doubt there will be a trickle down effect of those savings to us. Same cost, less service. Based on their calculations our costs should reduce by 30% with the proposal. We will never see that

Sheila
Sheila(@srcocchi)
11 months ago

My concern would be for rentals that have more and frequent trash? Especially with tourists, not to mention the smell with the heat of the summer.

For our home, I am okay with the new agreement. Will we see a decrease?

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
11 months ago
Reply to  Sheila

Agree, in the past when there was discussion about once a week collection there was always a carve-out for the rental properties on Fletcher and First Ave to retain twice a week pick-up. It will be interesting to see if the rental owners pony up to the extra pickup or is there going to be overflow and litter from these properties, especially during the summer. Like commercial businesses, maybe those rental properties should be required to obtain twice a week garbage pickup.

Mark Tomes
Mark Tomes(@mtomes)
11 months ago

The math does not add up – a 20% increase for the same service, or a 0% increase for reducing service by 50% (for residences). Seems like there should be a decrease in cost if reducing service by half.

chip ross
chip ross(@chipross)
11 months ago
Reply to  Mark Tomes
  • The City solicited proposals for garbage & recycling services by RFP #22-08.
  • Three proposals were received with Waste Management proposing the best value.
  • The current price for existing services (2 x week collection) is $20.37/month
  • The low bid for 2 x week collection services is $31.95/month
  • The low bid for 1 x week collection is $25.17/month
  • The Commission elected to proceed with developing a contract with Waste Management for 1 x week collection by Resolution 2022-219
Chris subleski
Chris subleski(@oldtimehockey)
11 months ago
Reply to  chip ross

Does this mean ONE truck each week will pickup garbage, recycle and bulk?

Susan
Susan (@guest_68443)
11 months ago

Looking forward to only having the trucks on the street one day a week. Thanks for working out the issues with short term rentals and other businesses.

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
11 months ago
Reply to  Susan

Unlikely Susan that they will have the trucks for the entire city on just one day. What would those trucks and workers do the other four days? I suspect that different zones will have different pick-up days as in the past in order to distribute the workload. It is a long trip from FB to the landfill in GA so I am sure the vendor will work hard to minimize those number of trips due to the cost and travel time.

mike spino
mike spino (@guest_68445)
11 months ago

Once a week makes sense since we recycle. We never need more than once a week and often combine with the neighbors. Getting the trucks off our streets one day a week is a big win for the community. This proposal reduces the amount of increase from $15 to $8. Not bad considering inflation.

bob
bob (@guest_68446)
11 months ago

weird. One half the work for the same price? That actually seems like a 100% increase in the price.

Dave Lott
Dave Lott(@dave-l)
11 months ago
Reply to  bob

It’s not one-half of the work. Are you going to reduce your garbage output by half? No, you are going to generate the same amount of garbage. So the garbage truck will fill up faster and necessitate more trips to the landfill in

John Goshco
John Goshco (@guest_68503)
11 months ago
Reply to  bob

One garbage pickup per week.
One recycle pickup per week.
One bulk pickup per week.
25% fewer residential pickups per week, but increased trips to the dump as Dave Lott mentioned.

Margo Story
Margo Story (@guest_68448)
11 months ago

I’m just not understanding this……

Matt
Matt (@guest_68485)
11 months ago

There will be a rat problem in FB soon

Ashley
Ashley (@guest_68576)
11 months ago

Waste management FREQUENTLY Missed one of their pick ups during the week at our house…what if they do the same when it’s down to once a week? Will I get the pleasure of trash sitting around for weeks at a time, meanwhile they collect money from my property tax bill all the same?!