Cornell City Council - Waste Management is out and GFL is in

Dave DeJongh, Cornell city administrator, goes over a contract with GFL, for recycling services, during a Cornell City Council meeting Nov. 16. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

Prices are going up with everything, and Cornell’s garbage and recycling is the latest on the rise. Because of that, the Cornell City Council went in a different direction Nov. 16, at their regular meeting.

Currently, Waste Management (WM) provides the services for the city’s residential users, but only until the end of the year, when the contract comes due. Acting on a recommendation from the Finance Committee, the council approved a new contract, with GFL.

WM had upped the weekly recycling fee, per household, from $3.97, to $8.40.

“It’s over a 100 percent increase,” said city administrator Dave DeJongh.

Opposed to that, GFL offered a $4.75, per household, weekly fee. They’ll also offer the bi-annual extra garbage pick-up, which WM was going away from next year.

With GFL, weekly trash pick-up will continue, with recycling occurring every other week; everyone north of Main Street will be picked up one week, while everyone south of Main Street will get their recycling the next week.

“And what was proposed by WM, we thought would create some problems,” said council president Steve Turany.

The garbage and recycling pick-up moves to Tuesday, instead of Thursdays. As of now, it’s unknown how the switch-over will transition, with carts and garbage services.

Even though the city receives $10,300 from the state, each year, to help fund the service costs are getting up there enough, that the city might have to place a fee on residents’ utility bills to cover some of the expense. For the time being, only garbage services fall back on the resident.

The council also gave all employees across the board, a $1.25, per hour increase.

Also approved, was a Memorandum of Understanding with Chippewa County, to provide statewide voter registration system services for the city, for $490.

“We have no choice but to do that?” asked council member Terry Smith.

DeJongh said the city doesn’t have the ability to do that on their own.

If anyone is in need of a meal or will be alone for the holiday, Thanksgiving dinner is served at Huddle Up Pub, on Main Street.

“It’s really nice for the community,” said mayor Mark Larson.