Mayor proposes short extension of Republic waste contract with small rate increase; council to draft legislation

Struthers’ mayor informed the finance and legislation committee that the city’s contract with Republic (the current waste hauler) is expiring in August and that Republic proposed an extension that would leave services (including recycling and bulk pickup) unchanged while increasing the monthly charge from $15.81 to $17.70.

The mayor said the company had offered a one-year extension and emphasized that Republic’s service has been reliable and that competitive bids previously returned less favorable terms. "We have a great relationship with Republic," the mayor said, and council members agreed that the company’s service and pricing were difficult to beat after seeking alternatives.

Transcript text lists a start date for the new rate as "09/01/1926," which is clearly a transcription error; interviewees discussed the change as starting on Sept. 1 in the coming contract year. The mayor also noted projections that the monthly charge could reach roughly $22 by 2030 under the proposed term.

Council members said staff should prepare legislation for three readings before the contract expires; the mayor said he will prepare the draft ordinance and noted that if any councilmember wants to go out to bid instead of renewing, they should say so so staff can act. No formal vote on the contract extension was recorded at the meeting.