Throwing away less garbage might top Hampton Township residents’ New Year’s resolutions under a new contract that will significantly increase their bills for trash collection.

Following a monthlong negotiation over price discrepancies, Hampton Township Council approved unanimously at its Nov. 16 meeting a refuse-collection contract with company Waste Management that will boost residents’ bills by about 33%. Hampton joined six other municipalities from the North Hills to partner for the service.

Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said Waste Management agreed to not charge residents $75 more per year to transport waste in any extra containers they might purchase — a consideration that delayed a vote on the contract.

The contract, which will increase bills from $22.84 per month to $30.51 next year, also will dispense with unlimited service for residents, instead providing them with a 96-gallon container to fill with refuse. Residents can purchase additional containers for $100 each. Disposing of some electronics, such as refrigerators and microwaves, also won’t be included in the monthly bill.

The monthly price will increase to $33.26 in 2024, $36.25 in 2025 and $39.50 in 2026, and there will be no senior discount.

“In my opinion, this is the best contract value at this time for Hampton,” Lochner said. “As a matter of fact, out of all the communities — ourselves, Ross and probably O’Hara — we are going to benefit from this contract the most. The smaller communities are going to struggle a bit.”

At the meeting, council also voted to advertise for a proposed ordinance that would allow residents to rent out their homes on a short-term basis for 180 days per year.

Short-term rentals have grown in popularity in the past 10 years due to online marketplaces such as Airbnb. However, they’ve faced criticism for lax regulation, particularly in Pittsburgh, where two teenage boys were killed and eight others injured at a shooting at an Airbnb rental property in April.

Following some debate at a Nov. 2 meeting, the township made a few adjustments to the original proposed ordinance it presented earlier this month, including extending the maximum length to rent to 180 days from 120 days per year. They also removed reference to any limitations on RVs and eliminated a dollar requirement for insurance, replacing it with a general requirement for homeowner’s insurance.

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