St. Paul wades back into trash politics by convening citizens advisory group

Nearly two years after a polarizing fight over organized trash collection in St. Paul, the city is wading back into garbage politics by asking residents to recommend how to improve the system.

St. Paul voters in 2019 resoundingly approved citywide garbage pickup, but only after opponents successfully sued the city to get the question on the ballot. The creation of an ad hoc group to advise the city on the next garbage contract may resurrect some of the lingering concerns.

"I would absolutely hope that they do not renew the current contract and that they put in new changes that will make it better," said Alisa Lein, a property manager who pushed for the ballot initiative. "Such as allowing sharing, opting out, dumpsters and a whole laundry list of other things."

For years, St. Paul residents negotiated their own deals with garbage haulers, leading to heavy traffic by garbage trucks down city alleys. The new organized collection program replaced that system for one- to four-unit residences, where a consortium of private haulers contracts with the city to pick up trash.

With the current contract set to expire in 2023, negotiations between the city and garbage haulers are coming up again.

"One of the problems with changing a garbage system is that there is a lot of advanced work that needs to happen," said Susan Young, a public works program administrator with St. Paul. "For instance, if we contract with a different company, they may have to buy garbage trucks, hire people and develop the route."

Mayor Melvin Carter will appoint 10 to 15 people to the advisory group, subject to the approval of the City Council. After they're informed on St. Paul's solid waste policies, they can weigh in on what they want to see in the new contract. The meetings will be public.

Young said the city wants a variety of viewpoints from a diverse group of residents from different parts of the city.

The process of putting the ad hoc group's suggestions into practice won't be simple, though, Lein said. She favors allowing families of multiple residences to share garbage bins, something that's restricted under the current contract, but she is skeptical that the haulers will agree to it.

The deadline to apply to join the Ad Hoc Residential Garbage Collection Advisory Group is June 30.

Zekriah Chaudhry • 612-673-7186