City administration will now negotiate and execute a contract with the company, per discussion and the resolution.
Under the Texas Pride’s proposed contract, the new residential monthly fee will be $13.15 for garbage, recycling and heavy trash pickup once per week and super-heavy trash pickup once per quarter.
Under the city's existing contract with Republic Services, the residential monthly fee is $17.87 for garbage pickup once per week, recycling and heavy trash pickup twice per month and super-heavy trash pickup once per quarter, according to the city’s website. This contract expires Aug. 31.
Texas Pride and Republic Services were two finalists recommended by the sanitation committee for the new contract at the July 6 regular council meeting. However, wanting additional information from both companies, council voted to table the July 6 agenda item.
A the July 20 meeting, council members noted several reasons why they preferred Texas Pride's proposal over Republic Services' proposal:
- Texas Pride uses semi-automated trucks with men, which will ensure fewer missed trash collections, council said; Republic Services uses automated side load trucks.
- A Texas Pride truck would only need to pass a street that has homes on both sides two times for the collection, council estimated; Republic Services would need to pass the same street six times for collection.
- Texas Pride's initial proposal included glass recycling; Republic Services only offered glass recycling as part of the proposal at the July 6 meeting, council said.
- Texas Pride’s proposed monthly residential fee of $13.10 was lower than Republic Services’ $15.50, council said.
Council Member Frank O. Carroll III said going with a new company is risky, but this risk has been mitigated by negotiating a performance bond of $250,000, which adds $0.05 to monthly charges.
“To have that performance bond, that ameliorates the risk in my mind because if either company fails to perform, then the city of Katy and its residents are protected,” Carroll said. “We can go out and get a temporary contract, and we can pay for those damages out of the performance bond.”
