Talking trash in New London

NEW LONDON – The city of New London continues to research the feasibility of the city contracting with a single hauler to provide garbage and recycling collection service in the city.
At the April 7 New London Board of Public Works meeting, Robert Garske, director of Public Works for the city of New London, told the board that he has received from other communities, the request for proposals for residential garbage collection that they used when they bid out their residential garbage collection service. He added that because there has been hesitation about requesting bids for residential garbage collection without an opt-out option, he wanted to address the opt-out issue.
The city of Clintonville originally provided its residents with an opt-out option, Garske said, but it soon found that it was the only municipality that offered an opt-out option from residential garbage collection.
“In 2023, they voted it out because they were running into multiple issues with the opt-out option,” Garske said.
He added, “I wanted to bring that up that, you know, even though we’re doing this, I want you to think about the whole picture in case you’re moving forward in any direction that that’s always in the back of your mind about how it’s really not done at any other community for various issues,” Garske said.

Garske added that the city of New London’s contract with Outagamie County runs through 2027, but it can be canceled with a 180-day notice.
“So, there’s a lot of work to do on that end too, if the numbers come in through the RFP where it’s best to gowith the contractor for both,” Garske said.
Garske said he will try to send the RFPs out by late May, so they could be returned in June, and the city could decide in July regarding going to a single hauler for residential garbage and recycling collection.
“After that, I figure a month if not more for discussion, with the whole plan that if everything rolls through and this is the direction the committee and council down the road wants to go in, that it would be more of a 2026 implementation,” Garske said.
If the city were to go with a single hauler garbage and recycling collection service, Garske said several elements would need to be considered, including additional staff for the city.
“I can say right now we are booked tight,” Garske said. “Whenever anybody is missing, it’s like you’re scrambling, and we’re getting on average at least a phone call a week, if not more, and we (currently) deal with neither aspect of it.”
Ald. David Dorsey asked is the start of the service would be in 2027 if the city were to go with a single hauler for garbage and recycling because of the 180-day notice required to terminate the Outagamie County recycling contract.
Garske said it could still begin in 2026, but it wouldn’t necessarily start in January.
Ald. Tim Roberts said he thought the city has an ordinance that requires landlords to provide garbage service to their tenants.
Garske said he thought that was for up to four rental units.
Roberts added that he has communicated with the village chairman from Hortonville regarding its garbage service.
“They go with Harter’s, he says they don’t really have to deal with it, Harter’s takes care of it,” Roberts said. “I just want to throw that out there as well. They really don’t have ongoing issues with it.”