Bartlesville to begin to automated trash service

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. - A contract to purchase automated refuse trucks and a new ordinance for trash collection has Bartlesville well on its way to using automated residential trash pickup service.

Bartlesville city councilors during their regular meeting on Tuesday approved a contract with Chouteau -based Waste Research, Inc. to purchase five fully automated refuse trucks for $1,053,963.

Also approved was an ordinance amending the city's municipal code for the new residential automated trash collection system to begin within the space of six months to a year, depending on when the new trucks and carts are delivered.

According to Director of Public Works Keith Henry who presented the ordinance to the council during Monday's meeting, so far the city has purchased a quarter of 16,000 96-gallon plastic trash carts to replace residential trash receptacles throughout the city.

At $50 a cart, the cost will be absorbed by the city, he said.

Customers now seeing twice-a-week service will see their service drop to once a week, on either Monday or Thursday, depending on their current trash schedule.

They could also see a 50 cent drop in their monthly trash service fee, said Henry.

According to the ordinance adopted Tuesday night, the monthly fee for regular collection at the curbside for the initial cart $15.50 for the 96-gallon cart, $13.50 for a 64-gallon cart and $11.50 for 32 gallon cart.

The city will charge another five dollars for each additional cart emptied after the initial cart. A yard trimming city bag will cost one dollar.

After councilors accepted the changes, Councilor Dale Copeland said while he is pleased with the current trash collection program, the transition to automated trash collection makes sense.

“From a basic standpoint to minimize costs and risks to those involved, it makes good business sense.”

Following the meeting, Henry told 2NEWS that whereas the current system employs three men per trash truck, the new program will only require one man per truck, meaning savings to the city.

He said the city's trash department during the next year or so through attrition will downsize by eight to ten employees.