Kalispell Public Works Department accepting bids to develop solid waste master plan

The Kalispell Department of Public works is seeking a firm to craft a solid waste management master plan for the city.

Officials began soliciting bids for the job last week. The chosen consultant will be expected to work with the city for a year to develop a new plan and calculate sustainable collection rates for trash collection within city limits.

Residential and commercial growth in recent years prompted city officials to reexamine trash collection services, according to Public Works Director Susie Turner.

“We’ve never had a master plan, we’ve had minor business plans, but we recognized that we needed to go through a full-blown rate study,” Turner said.

A blueprint for the future will help officials plan for and manage the growing number of residents and businesses that rely on municipal trash collection services.

“If the city wanted to expand services it would require additional personnel and trucks,” Turner said. “We would like to see what the cost would be to provide services to all of Kalispell.”

In 2021, the city collected trash from about 5,600 residential properties and about 530 commercial properties, according to previous reporting in the Daily Inter Lake. The city estimates its capacity at around 6,000 residential properties, but would like to expand that number to around 8,400 as the population continues to grow.

In July, Kalispell City Council approved a trash collection rate increase for both residential and commercial customers. According to Turner, the hike was necessary to “maintain our current services and add an additional truck and employee, allowing the city to service more residential properties.”

For residential customers, the rate increased $17 in the first year and then is set to increase by 5% in the next three years.

In addition to a larger customer base, Turner attributed the need to bump up collection rates to other increasing expenses including equipment, gas and maintenance on garbage trucks. Previous reporting showed that while the city was, in years past, able to purchase a new garbage truck for around $275,000, Turner estimated the cost of a new truck today at about $450,000.

The solicitation period remains open until January, and the contract is for a one year period. If the city council votes to implement the future plan, it could go into effect in spring of 2024, according to Turner.

Reporter Adrian Knowler can be reached at aknowler@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4407.