Trash contract will alter pickup days for many in city

Maumee Mayor Tim Wagoner, left and Greg Salter of Allied Waste Services

Most Maumee residents will get a new garbage-collection day starting Oct. 2.

The city has a new three-year contract with Allied Waste Services, under which its 5,500 households will have their trash and recyclables picked up on Tuesdays.

The three-bag or can limit will remain, but the new service offers upgraded recycling: Junk mail and office paper can be put in brown paper bags and left at curbside with the recycling bins.

The monthly cost of the new service works out to $8.69 per household for the first year, but the contract contains a 3 percent escalator in ensuing years that can raise or lower the price, depending on fluctuations in the cost of fuel.

The city's current waste collection firm, Waste Management, is paid $7.71 per household.

Maumee's longtime practice has been to divide the city into quadrants, each of which has a different pickup day, Monday through Thursday.

Larry Gamble, the city's director of public services, said the new schedule would take a little getting used to, but had distinct advantages.

"By going to a single day, everyone will know when to put the trash out. I'm very positive about it," he said. "We're going to have a learning curve. People will have to get used to the change, but once they do, I think they'll agree this is the way to go."

Householders can continue to put appliances out for pickup after notifying the city.