ANNA MARIA – Effective July 1, Waste Pro will replace Waste Management as the city of Anna Maria’s collector of trash, recycling and yard waste.
On June 11, city commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that establishes Waste Pro as the city’s new solid waste, recycling and yard waste hauler and grants Waste Pro those exclusive franchise rights. The franchise agreement ordinance will be finalized on second and final reading on June 25.
Waste Pro will provide trash collection on Mondays and trash, recycling and yard waste collection on Thursdays. Citing the agreement, Mayor Mark Short said Waste Pro will provide larger 96-gallon trash containers and similar-sized 64-gallon recycling containers.
Short noted the Waste Pro agreement provides residents with the option to bring their trash and recycling receptacles to and from the street themselves or utilize side-door service at an extra charge. Vacation rental homes will be required to utilize side-door service at an extra charge.
Free side-door service will be provided for the physically impaired. Pursuant to proper medical documentation, those property owners may request and receive side-door service for all normal weekly services without charge.
During the June 11 meeting, commissioners were provided with a rate sheet that illustrated some of the various fees for Waste Pro services. According to the rate sheet, a residential customer will pay $22.41 per month for basic curbside service. The residential side-door service rate begins at $48.57 per month and increases if additional receptacles are required.
Short noted the Waste Management fees would have increased by 3% for the coming service year had Waste Management been retained as the city’s solid waste hauler. He said residential customers will pay approximately the same monthly rate they would have paid for Waste Management services. The Waste Pro agreement also caps annual rate increases to no more than 3%.
The rate sheet didn’t include the exact rate for the side-door service required at vacation rental homes. The number of receptacles required for a vacation rental home will be based on the number of occupants allowed in accordance with the city’s vacation rental registration program.
According to the agreement, the property owner of a resort housing unit with seven to 11 approved occupants is required to have one additional 96-gallon cart for solid waste and one additional 64-gallon cart for single-stream recycling, for a total of two carts for solid waste and two for recyclables.
The property owner of a resort housing unit with 12 or more approved occupants is required to have two additional 96-gallon carts for solid waste and two additional 64-gallon carts for recycling.
The Waste Pro agreement includes service to the city’s beach access areas and additional collection services for those areas during holidays and peak tourist periods.
According to the franchise agreement, the city will receive 12% of Waste Pro’s monthly gross revenue, minus the tipping fees charged at the county landfill.
The 10-year franchise agreement provides for two additional five-year renewals.
Waste Pro also has franchise agreements with the cities of Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach.
