Sikeston residents to see trash bills increase

SIKESTON, Mo. ­-- Yearly trash bills for Sikeston residents will go up by about $50 in 2010.

City council members awarded the contract for solid waste collection and disposal services to the sole bidder, Sonny's Solid Waste, during the regular Sikeston City Council meeting Monday.

City manager Doug Friend said that although city staff had seven vendors express interest in the contract, "when we opened the bids Oct. 1, we had one bidder."

Mayor Jerry Pullen speculated the other vendors declined to bid because they anticipated that Sonny's Solid Waste would come in well below their bids.

As recommended by city staff, council members awarded a three-year contract beginning Jan. 1 to Sonny's Solid Waste at the monthly price of $16.50 per household.

With the addition of the city's $1.41 monthly administrative fee for billing, the new monthly cost for residents will be $17.91, an increase of $4.08 per month from the $13.83 per month residents currently are billed.

Pullen said that some cities have a lower rate because they opt for a weekly pickup instead of twice per week, but having trash picked up twice a week is something "most of the people in Sikeston want."

In addition to the twice-weekly pickup schedule, the contract with Sonny's also includes 20 30-yard and two 40-yard roll-off boxes for a citywide cleanup.

The contract also includes the stipulation that a fuel surcharge may be added to the monthly per-household cost if fuel costs go up to $3.50 per gallon or more.