Trash talk scheduled for Tuesday in Vail
Town is considering limiting some residential areas to one waste hauler in an effort to reduce truck traffic and create cost savings, but some residents are against the idea.
Chris Dillmann/Vail Daily archive
The Vail Town Council on Tuesday will listen to a presentation and provide feedback on an idea to restrict residential areas with fewer than eight units to a single waste hauler. There are currently three waste haulers permitted to operate in Vail — Vail Valley Waste, Vail Honeywagon and Apex Waste Solutions.
The Town Council, on Friday, published a memo from the Vail Police and Environmental Sustainability departments ahead of Tuesday’s meeting detailing a few reasons why the town may want to switch to a municipalized system, like the town of Gypsum, or single-contract waste collection system, like those currently used in Eagle and Minturn.
“In the current environment, trash and recycling trucks from these three different companies are on the streets of Vail six-seven days a week servicing residential, multi-family, and commercial entities, resulting in upwards of 10 trucks on any given day in the commercial cores and residential areas,” according to the memo.
To get more information on what a single-contract system might look like, the town put out a request for proposal a few months ago and received proposals from all three of the current waste haulers.
The town said each hauler provided a competitive and comprehensive proposal with a range of services including a high level of customer service, options for curbside composting, advanced truck technology, partnerships in community events and more.
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“Notably, the price range offered by the haulers in their proposals would result in savings for residents on their monthly waste hauling service price between 67% and 77% over the rate for their current service today,” according to the memo. “And, in the case of at least one hauler, additional services such as curbside compost are an included service. This is possible because like any utility, if the hauler can be efficient at collecting at all households in a town and have a predictable service level, economies of scale and volume allow for a lower price than in a competitive market as Vail currently has.”
While the town staff appears to support the idea, the council has received no letters in favor of the single hauler concept, and more than 20 letters against it.
“Government should not have the authority to decide who wins and who loses,” wrote Dennis Scalise. “That should be left up to the free marketplace.”
“I truly believe in free enterprise when it comes to the business decisions that affect my hard earned dollars,” wrote Mary Lou Armour. “I don’t believe government at any level should be telling me how to shop, like telling me who to hire to cut my lawn, or shovel my snow. Or maybe you want to tell me where to purchase my next running shoes, ski gear or groceries.”
At Tuesday night’s meeting, the council is scheduled to listen to the single hauler idea and provide feedback. The central question in the discussion, according to the memo published Friday, will be the following:
“Now that the council has additional information about the opportunity to create efficiencies, cost to the community, and improved safety and service offerings, should the town move forward with the public notice of intent to municipalize and contract for solid waste collection services?”
The discussion is expected to take place at approximately 6:15 p.m. in the Vail Town Council chambers, located at 75 S. Frontage Rd.
