One doesn’t lose a contract worth more than $100,000 a year without reacting.

Thursday, March 16, 2000

One doesn’t lose a contract worth more than $100,000 a year without reacting.

That’s just what Marty Tufte, district manager for Waste Management for Southern Minnesota, did the day after the Mower County Board of Commissioners awarded a contract for curbside collection of recyclables to Cedar Valley Services.

"We are deeply disappointed," Tufte began a lengthy statement.

Waste Management is – through March 31 – the sole hauler to pick up recyclables in Mower County. In fact, when two new haulers, Star City and Stewart Sanitation, started doing business and refused to pick up recyclables of their own customers, Waste Management stepped in and performed the service.

Throughout the 10 years Waste Management has contracted with the county to provide collection services, it has encouraged the county to consider privatizing the entire recycling collection and processing service.

However, Mower County has elected to do its own processing of recyclables, contracting with Cedar Valley Service for that service.

In addition, it has located recycling collection centers, which are small buildings, in each community except for Brownsdale, which has its own curbside collection service.

This spring, the buildings will be replaced by roll-off containers in the communities where they were located.

Tufte believes privatizing the processing part of the county’s recycling program would not only increase citizens’ recycling habits, but be done at a more efficient and less costly method to the county.

Tufte said he believes his firm’s efforts to encourage the county to review alternative services "drove a wedge in our relationship with Jeff Weaver, the county’s solid waste officer."

"This decision," Tufte said, "may be a result of his views."

The Waste Management district manager also argued that while every taxpayer in Mower County pays for the recycling services through a surcharge tax imposed by the county, not every citizen gets those services because of "barriers" the county has made.

"We hope Cedar Valley is successful," Tufte said in conclusion before reminding all that "after April 1, Waste Management no longer will provide curbside collection of recyclables."

Under the county’s recycling program, the county provides free recycling bins for residents of the city, Mapleview and adjacent residential subdivisions.

Now, Waste Management, the largest of the three haulers, will be making one stop – beginning April 1 – at residences to pick up waste in containers or authorized plastic bags and Cedar Valley Services will make another stop to pick up recyclables.

Tufte also promised his firm will "continue to challenge" the county to evaluate its collection and processing program to be both efficient and cost-effective.