Rogers decides to extend trash contract

ROGERS -- The city will continue to contract waste and recycling pickup and hold off considering operating its own trash and recycling service.

The council on Tuesday unanimously voted to extend the city's contract with Orion Waste Solutions until June 2025. The contract was to expire at the end of the year. Services and cost don't change with the contract extension. The council would have to approve any changes at a later date, according to Bonnie Bridges, staff attorney.

The council's Public Works Committee, which includes council members Mandy Brashear, Gary Townzen and Clay Kendall, held a special meeting Oct. 20 to discuss the city's options.

Mayor Greg Hines recommended the city extend its contract with Orion and said the city cannot logistically pull off a smooth transition at this time.

"At some point last fall, I started looking at the possibility of us doing our own residential trash service in Rogers and we got down the road quite a ways that I still feel confident that's a viable option for us in the future," he said at the meeting.

He said the covid-19 pandemic halted his plans to visit other cities successfully making the transition from commercial trash pickup to operating its own services.

Council members said they were satisfied with Orion's service, although some questioned whether five years was too long of an extension. Brashear said she wanted to make sure the city is doing its due diligence of being good stewards of taxpayer money and weigh its options when contracts expire, regardless of whether the city is satisfied with the service.

"I like the idea of exploring, doing this in-house, and I think five years gives us ample time to do that," Kendall said Tuesday. Hines said the five-year period was part of the city's original agreement with Orion, meaning any extensions are for five years by default. The council Tuesday voted to amend the proposed ordinance, shortening the extension to 4½ years at the suggestion of council member Mark Kruger. Kruger said it's easier for the city to make changes during the summer instead of around the holidays.

Hines broke a 4-4 council vote Tuesday, approving a request to rezone about 4 acres at the northeast corner of South and West Everest Avenues from residential multifamily at nine units per acre to residential multifamily at 12 units per acre to allow new townhomes to built there.

The property is just east of Interstate 49 south of the Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall. Plans for the project show 11 buildings with four units each and a maintenance building. The Planning Commission approved the rezoning and preliminary plans a week ago in a 5-3 decision.

Some commissioners expressed concerns about similar developments nearby that had no fencing and backyards with items such as toys, barbecue pits and trash cans facing the street. Others said the development is compatible with the area and will complete the neighborhood.

Council members Kendall, Brashear, Townzen and Jerry Carmichael voted in favor of the rezoning. Kruger, Marge Wolf, Betsy Reithemeyer and Barney Hayes were opposed.

The council voted unanimously to accept a $318,600 grant from the Walton Family Foundation. Jim White, parks and recreation director, said the money will go to planting trees at Mount Hebron Park as well as a a tree giveaway. The grant doesn't require the city to match any money.