Amid Service Issues, Brooklyn Park Considers Recycling Hauler Changes
The city of Brooklyn Park is seeking proposals from other recycling vendors following a litany of service issues involving its current hauler, Waste Management, officials said.
According to Tim Pratt, Brooklyn Park’s recycling manager, the city has had recycling service delays since June, including another delay on Monday. Waste Management pins the blame on a driver shortage.
“If a driver is out sick, they don’t have sufficient staff to cover that,” said Pratt, who also administers recycling for Brooklyn Center, Crystal and New Hope due to a joint powers agreement.
Brooklyn Park has had a recycling contract with Waste Management since 1999. The existing contract expires in July 2023.
The city has assessed fines to Waste Management for service interruptions, about $10,000 to $15,000 every month, over the last few months, Pratt said.
“I would be ecstatic not to have to assess a single fine,” Pratt told the Brooklyn Park City Council during a presentation at Monday’s meeting.
Brooklyn Park considers buying own recycling carts
Brooklyn Park is also considering buying its own recycling carts, which officials say would eliminate a competitive advantage that the current hauler has and could provide long-term cost savings. Because Waste Management owns the recycling carts, officials say the company’s bids come in significantly less expensive.
During the city’s last bidding process, documents show that prices for Waste Management’s competitors came in approximately $0.75 higher per household per month. While the city’s rating criteria scored Waste Management lower on customer service and added services, price made up 50 percent of the score and other haulers could not overcome the gap, the documents showed.
City officials estimate it would cost about $1.4 million to purchase all the recycling carts for the city’s nearly 23,000 households. Pratt said the city would have to charge residents a minimal fee to make up for the purchase, but residents could see savings after about five years.
The cities of Robbinsdale and St. Louis Park are other cities in Hennepin County that own their recycling carts.
Pratt said three vendors have expressed in the city’s recycling contract. Five years ago, the city had four proposals. The number left council members wondering whether the city will find significantly better options.
“There aren’t a lot of options for us, as far as companies go, that are out there,” said Brooklyn Park Mayor Lisa Jacobson.
