Florissant Considering Seeking Bids for Single Trash Hauler

Florissant plans to explore designating one waste hauler to provide trash removal and recycling services throughout the city.

While the city is seeking bids, St. Louis County government officials will not require present haulers serving Florissant to charge residents for picking up recyclable materials until Oct. 1. All of this is part of the city's response to the implementation of the county's new solid waste management code. The code reorganizes how solid waste and landfills will be managed in the county.

One of its controversial measures is requiring customers to pay for recycling services whether they want them or not. Haulers now are required to offer recycling as part of their service. Cities also are having to adapt to the plan. Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery Sr. told the City Council on June 9 that the city plans to put a hauling contract for the entire city up for bids. Now, the city has six or more companies providing services, said Public Works Director Louis Jearls.

Jearls said that specifications have been drafted seeking bids from private haulers, but the city hasn't established a time line for naming a hauler. The reason for issuing a bid proposal is economic. Jearls and Lowery say they hope to see rate proposals that will be lower than what residents pay now.

Bids received from haulers for some of the county's trash districts were cheaper than expected, Lowery said. Bid specifications could include a requirement for a 50 percent discount for senior citizens, he said.

Jearls said the city also hopes to obtain thousands of unused recycling containers from the county. Using those containers might further cut costs, he said.