East Bethel explores Ham Lake-style garbage-hauler contract; council agrees to request quotes

City staff presented a possible move to a Ham Lake-style garbage-hauler contract at the Dec. 22 work session, describing a model where a small number of partnered haulers serve the community rather than multiple competing providers on the same routes.

Staff said the approach could reduce duplicate truck traffic on neighborhood streets and could offer cost savings depending on bids. A council member read sample Ham Lake pricing tiers as an illustrative comparison: 25–38 gallon at $13.35 per month, 60–76 gallon at $19.18 per month, and 77–90 gallon at $21.92 per month.

Members debated trade-offs: several supported exploring the model to potentially reduce truck traffic and maintenance costs, while another council member argued the city should not be in the business of selecting private companies and warned of political backlash. Council directed staff to issue a request for quotes (RFQ) or similar less-formal solicitation to gather numbers and study feasibility — not to commit the city to a contract.

Staff said they would model any outreach on Ham Lake’s documents and return with information to inform the council’s next steps.