New Kensington council members conceded Monday that they had little choice but to approve a garbage contract that increases bills by 73%.

They heard from residents upset that their garbage bills will spike next year but ultimately voted, 4-1, to award a five-year, $15.3 million contract for solid waste, household hazardous waste and electronic waste collection to Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, which operates County Hauling and is the city’s current hauler.

Separately, council approved setting the annual fee for solid waste, leaf and branch collection and recycling beginning Jan. 1 at $540, or $135 per quarter, a 73% increase over the current cost of about $78 per quarter.

The new contract also will include a change from a citywide collection on Fridays to garbage being picked up over four or five days, the details of which city clerk Dennis Scarpiniti said will be worked out.

Officials are hopeful that having garbage picked up more than one day a week will help with getting trucks back to any homes that are missed. It retains the existing manual collection.

Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill submitted the lowest of two bids the city considered, city Controller John Zavadak said. A bid from Steel City was rejected because the company does not have the minimum five years experience with residential pickup the city required, he said.

The other bid — from Shank Waste, part of Vogel Holding — was just over $10 million higher at about $25.3 million, Zavadak said.

While Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill was said to be the lowest responsible bidder, Councilman Corey Pistininzi said he did not feel it was “responsible,” echoing service complaints from some residents. Pistininzi cast the only vote against awarding the contract to the company.

Other council members said they agreed with Pistininzi but, like Councilman Todd Mentecki said, they didn’t know what else to do other than accept it.

Mentecki said he wanted to vote no, but if the council had, there would be no garbage pickup in the city come Jan. 1.

“Our hands were tied on this one,” he said.

The city will look into other options, including picking up garbage itself, Mentecki said.

While several residents suggested the city collect its own garbage, cutting out a profit motive, Zavadak said it could take up to two years for New Kensington to get such a service licensed and started in the heavily regulated field.

While many residents expressed a desire for service by Waste Management, Mentecki said the company is not interested in bidding because its automated collection method will not work in New Kensington because of its alleys, trees and on-street parking.

Under the five-year contract with Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, the city’s annual cost will increase from about $2.7 million in the first year to $2.9 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026, $3.2 million in 2027 and $3.5 million in 2028.

The annual fee for subsequent years has not been determined, Scarpiniti said.

The city collects recycling itself but has not previously separated that cost from the rest of garbage collection, Zavadak said. New Kensington is required to collect recycling because of its population.

In breaking down the $135 quarterly cost, Zavadak said $105 of it is for solid, household hazardous and electronic waste, while $30 is for recycling.

Garbage and recycling costs are included on residents’ water bills.

City officials ask that residents having problems with their garbage collection call city hall at 724-337-4523.

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