When it comes to trash hauling within the city of Sedona, things will remain status quo.
Even though a formal vote was not taken, the Sedona City Council on Tuesday, Nov. 25, directed staff to no longer pursue a single-hauler trash and recycling program. Their decision was based on the results of a request for proposals from two local haulers as well as the push back the city had received from the public.
Two of the area’s three trash haulers — Taylor Waste and Waste Management — submitted a RFP while Patriot Disposal chose not to.
A report from the city states, “Neither proposal’s pricing was in the range the city expected or had hoped for. Given the absence of a cost-savings component for residents and no greatly enhanced services being proposed, council is being asked to provide further direction on whether or not the city should continue to pursue a single-hauler system.”
This topic was last discussed in July, which is when council approved moving forward with the RFP process.
“At that time it was not a forgone conclusion that the RFP would lead to a city-managed contract,” Assistant City Manager Karen Osburn said. “That’s much different than most of the RFPs that we issue. What we wanted to do was issue the RFP and receive the proposals back so that we could test the market to see is a single-hauler system would provide that additional value to our community in terms of a cost savings and additional service level improvements.”
When council approved moving forward with the RFP process over the summer, their reasoning was to help increase the amount of recycling in Sedona, reduce the number of trash trucks on the road — and thus wear and tear on the roads — and to see if a one-hauler system would reduce the cost to residents.
Councilman Jon Thompson asked Taylor Waste co-owner Chris Taylor how he’d feel if the city abandoned the idea of a one-hauler system. Taylor said that while from a businesses standpoint, if awarded, they’d be happy with a citywide contract, he said he went into the RFP process being in favor of leaving an open market alone and allowing the residents to choose their trash hauler.
Following public input from eight residents, all of whom opposed a single-hauler system, council expressed their desire to no longer move ahead with the proposal.
“I feel we need to say we’ve done our best to do this,” Thompson said. “We need to re-double our efforts when it comes down to priority setting in another month or two to figure out what we can do to help the environment and whether it’s some education programs to get more recycling done. But for this I just don’t see a way forward.”
Councilman Scott Jablow agreed and said had they not done the RFP, the city would not have known what the potential costs would be to residents and that it’s important that it was completed.
As far as mandatory recycling, Councilwoman Jessica Williamson said the community is just not there in terms of that and sustainability.
“I don’t think sustainability is easy,” she said. “I think everybody is for it — no one says they’re not for it. But when push comes to shove, I don’t hear the support for it as much as I hear the opposition.”
When the process began in July, Vice Mayor John Martinez said if the RFP process was not a simple one, it would not work. He also said based upon the estimated 20 to 30 percent of Sedona residents who recycle, the town has a ways to go in that area. Councilman Tom Lamkin said it’s clear that residents are capable of choosing their own hauler and can often negotiate better rates.
“I’d propose we let this topic die a natural death that it greatly deserves,” Lamkin said.
Mayor Sandy Moriarty ended the discussion by saying it’s obvious that it’s not the time to move forward with this proposal.
“I’m somewhat disappointed that when we claim to be interested in sustainability, we’re not really willing to put our money where our mouth is — and that’s really true,” she said.
