Lonsdale chooses new refuse collector

By: 
Andrea Nelson, Contributing writer

In a three-to-one vote, Lonsdale’s city council has opted to move forward with selecting a new garbage collector for weekly trash services.

Every five years the city advertises for bids for this service, historically selecting just one company to handle all the refuse services within the city.

Since 2005 the city has gone with Waste Management. But, starting April 1, pending final contract negotiations and council approval, West Central Sanitation, Inc. will take over the refuse and recycling collection.

At the council meeting on February 27, representatives from both West Central Sanitation, Inc. and Waste Management were there to speak to the council and answer any questions they had.

West Central Sanitation, owned by Don and Carol Williamson, is a familyowned and operated company that started in Willmar 41 years ago. Since that time they have expanded to provide services in 21 counties throughout the state. They have hubs in Willmar, Alexandria, Redwood Falls, and Mankato.

Lonsdale City Administrator Joel Erickson said that based on the contract figures presented by West Central Sanitation Lonsdale residents collectively will save about $142,000 over the five-year term of the contract.

Don Williamson attended the meeting and said that though there are yearly rate increases, these increases are less than two percent annually.

For example, a 32-gallon cart will cost $9 and increase to $9.70 weekly by 2024. Weekly curbside recycling will have no charge for 2020 and will increase to $1.39 next year, eventually going to $1.48 in 2024.

“Everything we do is for long term values,” Williamson said.

Services provided by West Central include weekly household collection, a recycling program similar to Waste Management’s Green Team, a centralized spring clean up day, and more.

Bag service, larger cart sizes, additional carts, large items, yard waste bags, and brush collection are also service options provided by West Central.

Councilmember Steve Cherney asked Williamson if it was feasible or worthwhile to have two collection service providers for Lonsdale.

Williamson said that it is not.

Waste Management’s Jay Neison also attended the meeting and spoke to the council about being proud to provide services and be a volunteer in the community for the past 15 years.

“We’ve enjoyed our relationship,” Neison said.

Neison said he realizes that their bid was not the lowest and stated that operating costs are increasing. Despite this he said they submitted a bid that went back to the pricing of 2018.

In addition to explaining their bid, he asked that the council consider...

To see more on this story pick up the March 5, 2020 print edition of the Montgomery Messenger.

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