Flagstaff staff launch solid‑waste rate study; curbside glass collection transition prompts public concern

City solid‑waste staff told the Flagstaff City Council on April 28 they have begun scoping a comprehensive rate study to address a stressed enterprise fund and to present service‑level options and corresponding rate impacts.

Solid Waste Section Director Sam Beckett said the fund has been under pressure from inflation, labor and fuel costs, and that staff have narrowed consultant choices to three firms and would prioritize extensive community engagement. "Our first and foremost goal is to bring in the proper consultant," he said, adding the study will evaluate all programs — collection, landfill operations, transfer stations, and capital replacements — and present option packages for council consideration.

As part of near‑term operational changes staff described a planned transition from curbside glass collection to a network of public drop‑off locations. Collections Manager Justin Cuevas said the city added two drop‑off sites (Jay Lively Center and North Marketplace) to reduce travel burdens for residents and recommended a July 1 implementation date for the operational change, with notices to customers beginning June 1.

Staff and several council members said the glass service had dwindled from a historical peak (about 1,300 billed customers) to roughly 300 active subscribers and that curbside service was not cost‑recovering. "It's not even close to recovery at this point," Cuevas said of curbside glass pickup. He explained routes are inefficient because the remaining carts are scattered across many sections and often not set out regularly.

Public commenters including Al White and Ward Davis urged that the council not finalize program alterations until the rate study produces explicit cost‑per‑ton figures for landfill, collection and recycling, and suggested the study consider enhanced cardboard recovery as a high‑value stream. White requested that the study require transparent per‑ton outputs and community participation in scoping.

Management Services Director Rick Tatter said a solid‑waste study generally takes six to eight months; staff said they would accelerate outreach and bring back option packages and cost consequences (options A/B/C) for council review. Beckett said staff will pause broader service reductions pending the study but keep the glass transition that staff previously had direction to move forward on; he described the transition as one limited change that "doesn't pencil out" financially for curbside collection today.

Council and staff agreed the work will include neighborhood‑level public meetings, data transparency, and a consultant‑led analysis before decisions about long‑term service levels and rates are finalized. No formal rate changes were adopted at the work session.