Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Approves New Waste Management Contract
FARMINGTON — The city’s new contract with Waste Management to pick up trash, recycling and yard waste has several changes, compared to the old contract, including one that gives a local phone number to Springdale for questions, complaints and missed pick-ups.
Farmington City Council approved the 14-page contract at its Aug. 13 meeting. The new five-year contract takes effect Sept. 1 and is renewable for two five-year terms.
City Attorney Steve Tennant said city customers will not have to contact a call center in Tennessee or another state to ask questions about their Waste Management accounts. The contract provides the local phone number for Farmington customers to call, 479-3614200.
Fees for the first year will be $13.10 per month per unit for residential customers to collect trash
and recyclables.
A reduced residential rate will be available to senior adults, 62 years of age and older, and citizens on Social Security Disability. Customers will have to submit an application at Farmington City Hall to request the reduced rate, which is $11 per unit per month or yellow bags for $1 per bag and $3.90 per month for recycle pickup.
For yard waste pickup, residents can purchase green bags at City Hall for $46.50 for a roll of 30 bags.
Other changes in the new contract are that yard waste will be picked up throughout the city on Mondays, beginning Sept. 3. In addition, future Waste Management statements will include a section that specifies when a payment is late and when a $35 reinstatement fee would be charged.
Tennant said having a specific, citywide day for yard waste pickup and changes in the statements should address concerns brought up by Farmington resident Ree Oxford at the Council’s July meeting.
Oxford told of times yard waste was thrown into the regular trash truck and also showed where she had been charged $50 for a reinstatement fee, instead of the $35 in the old contract.
After discussing Oxford’s concerns with Waste Management officials, Tennant said he found out that 178 customers had been charged a $50 reinstatement fee, instead of $35, during the past three years. Apparently, Tennant said, Waste Management increased its reinstatement fee for other cities but the change did not distinguish that Farmington’s contract was different from other places.
He admitted to Council members that he was “embarrassed” because he did not know about this.
All 178 people will receive credits on their upcoming statements and Oxford will receive a full credit of $50, Tennant said.
The new statements are supposed to say that payment is due upon receipt and is considered past due if the bill is not paid within 30 days of the date on the statement. Invoices also will say a $35 reinstatement fee will be required from accounts that are canceled because of non-payment after 30 days. The contract says the reinstatement fee will be waived for the first time.
“I’m going to work on them real hard to get this (wording) right,” Tennant said, adding he intended to “ride them like a fairground pony.”
Other details in the contract show that Waste Management will only have three holidays when trash, recycling and yard waste will not be picked up: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Any future rate increases will be tied to the consumer price index. Rates can only be adjusted on the anniversary date of the contract and Waste Management is required to notify the city in writing prior to a rate change. The notification has to include the amount of the adjustment, documentation substantiating the change and when the adjusted rate would take effect.