Maitland leaders embrace free market for trash collection

Maitland leaders took steps they believe will save the city money on its trash collection.

At its June 12 meeting, the City Council introduced an ordinance granting a non-exclusive franchise to Keller Outdoor Environmental Services LLC.

A public hearing to approve the ordinance will take place June 26. 

“What they will enable is garbage companies to compete against each other — who are used to having an exclusive franchise,” said City Manager Sharon Anselmo. “So trying to build up a bunch of non-exclusives so that there is competition and lowers the price.”

In 2013, the city signed an exclusive franchise agreement with Waste Pro of Florida Inc., which collects single- and multi-family residential waste, yard waste and commercial solid waste. However, this agreement did not include the disposal of solid waste, construction and demolition debris.

Anselmo said the city currently has 12-different C&D disposal companies signed up as part of the non-exclusive program, which allows customers the ability to pick and choose the service they want to use.

To increase the number of options, the city mailed applications to C&D vendors already under non-exclusive franchise agreements with other municipalities to let them know the city had done away with exclusive agreements related to C&D removal.

In the past, the public had been limited to only one service with which the city had negotiated, and it was this lack of free market options that led the city to adopt the non-exclusive program in late 2013.

Another issue that brought the program into being was the lack of oversight regarding where companies were dropping off their waste.

“Back in the ’90s, they had a problem with people not going to the landfill — dumping where they shouldn’t be dumping,” Anselmo said. “This way, we are actually able to control it, because there is so much environmental awareness, we know where they take these items and we make them report annually where they take them.”

Besides having to be approved by the city and the general public, companies also must have agreements with transfer facilities before being able to freely operate.

During the discussion on the motion, Councilwoman Bev Reponen said she was concerned about how to deal with companies that don’t do their jobs properly and whether people in the general public are satisfied.

“I don’t want people sitting at home thinking, ‘Oh I didn’t like them, but I just wont say anything,’ and then the next guy faces the same consequence,” Reponen said. “I want to provide the means that if there is a problem, then someone knows to come and complain.”

Anselmo assured Reponen the city had not yet had any complaints from anyone in the community since the program started. The city itself also collects both monthly and yearly reports from the garbage companies.

It was also noted by Anselmo that locals could take their own trash if they wish.

“Self-haul is not regulated,” Anselmo said. “So if they want one of those bagsters or something like that ... they can take it right to the landfill themselves.”

Contact Troy Herring at 

[email protected].