HUBER HEIGHTS TO EXPLORE WASTE PICKUP FOR BUSINESSES

Council will discuss topic tonight during work session.

Council and staff in Huber Heights are starting discussions about whether a commercial waste hauling program could bring local businesses a municipal trash service similar to the one already extended to city residents.

The topic will be discussed at a city council work session tonight at 6 at city hall, 6131 Taylorsville Road.

“We are continuously looking for opportunities to consolidate services for the benefit of reduced cost to all members of our community, including the businesses,” said City Manager Rob Schommer in a statement. “Organized collection may present such an opportunity, and I am hopeful we can explore the possibility to identify what the needs of our businesses are and if we can reduce their costs.”

Council previously discussed commercial organized waste collection but decided to wait until the city was deeper into the residential program to research it, according to a memo from Schommer. He proposes working with the Huber Heights Chamber of Commerce to survey commercial properties to identify average costs of waste removal.

Businesses are generally open to the idea of saving money on trash collection, but complexities exist due to the widely varying demands of different businesses, said Mark Bruns, Huber Heights Chamber of Commerce executive director.

“The business community, the Chamber of Commerce certainly, is in favor of anything that can benefit our members, especially financially,” Bruns said. “The downside is the commercial animal is a little bit different (than residential) because there are so many different types of businesses.”

“If you can save businesses money, they’d be all over it,”

Bruns said. “But I don’t know how easy it would be. Some have recyclables, some have grease.”

Schommer’s memo identifies financial savings beyond just trash removal.

“The residential program has produced some of the lowest rates in the region for waste pickup and, overall, has reduced the cost to the residents,” the memo says. “Those costs go beyond individual home expenses, but also factor into reduced wear on roadways and infrastructure.”

The city of Huber Heights’ contract for residential waste collection with Republic Services began July 1, 2013. According to that contract, household cost per month started in 2013-2014 at $9.77. The monthly cost increases by about 20 cents each year (the current cost is $10.55 per month, per household). The contract is set to expire in 2021.