The Rosevillle Public Works, Environment and Transportation Commission this week tentatively voted to recommend the city consider establishing an organized trash collection system. 

The commission, which has been discussing the issue in recent months, directed the Public Works department to come back in January with a formal resolution and recommendation that the group can forward to the City Council.

While the creation of organized collection often means a community contracts with just one trash hauler to provide trash hauling service, the Roseville commissoners indicated one of their goals would be to enable current trash haulers to still maintain their current market shares in the city.

Other goals include saving money for residents on trash hauling fees, establishing a transparent contract process and making sure that resident garbage goes to a waste recovery site.

Roseville's study of organized trash collection comes on the heels of neighboring Maplewood recently going to a single trash collection system with the city contracting with Allied Waste. Maplewood has estimated that total cost savings for the community's residents could be a combined $1 million to $1.5 million, said Jim DeBenedet, chairman of the Roseville public works commission.

But Mark Stoltman, general manager at Randy's Environmental Services, told the Roseville commission that he doubts Maplewood's savings from organized collecting will be as big as reported. And Chris DeLaForest, a consultant representing Ace Solid Waste, contended that Maplewood Councilman John Nephew lost his re-election last month because he supported the organized trash collection when many citizens were opposed to it. 

Whatever the case in Maplewood, Roseville is no stranger to the single trash hauler issue. Several years ago, the Roseville-Maplewood-Falcon Heights League of Women Voters went on record supporting a single trash hauler system.

Currently, there are several licensed garbage haulers serving Roseville. (See http://www.ci.roseville.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=683).

Proponents of organized trash hauling believe that multiple haulers generate more traffic and noise and wear and tear of streets. For example, the cul-de-sac "Irene Circle", just off of Western and Iona Lane in Roseville has nine homes, according to a Roseville Citizens League official. But there four different companies that pick up trash on Mondays in that area.

Meanwhile, opponents see single trash haulers for communities as, among other things, an infringement on individual choice and anti-competitive. That was a point that DeLaForest raised Tuesday night.

"We think consumers make the best decision, not government," he said. "When you take (garbage) trucks off the streets, you put people out of work."

But DeBenedet responded, "Negotiation is better than confrontation. I am sympathetic  with small business. But I also wonder what happened to the small drugstors and grocery stores." He suggested there might be a way to come up with a system that would be satisfactory for everyone. 

Earlier this past fall, the Roseville Citizens League held an educational forum exploring the pros and cons of organized trash collection.

For further information about organized trash hauling, see http://www.rosevillecl.org/.