Broomfield will enter a single residential waste hauler agreement with Waste Connections of Colorado.

Two ordinances, both of which the Broomfield City Council passed 7-1 recently, approve a municipal code change that allows the city and county to contract residential waste hauling services and to approve a contract with the waste hauler company.

Mayor Pro Tem and Ward 3 Councilmember Deven Shaff, who opposed both ordinances, raised concerns about HOA exemptions and opt-out fees outlined in the contract.

“(The opt-out fee) continues to cause me a lot of conflict … I just don’t like it,” he said.

Eligible residents who live in single-family homes that are not in existing hauling agreements under a homeowner’s association will have to pay $10.50 per month to not use the universal service. The fee was put in place to encourage high participation rates, according to a memo to council members regarding the contract. Any revenue gained from the fee will be used to support waste diversion efforts in the city and county, according to the memo.

Additionally, HOAs that choose to keep existing services will not be charged the opt-out fee.

The service fees outlined in the contract include a small cart fee of $10.50 per month, a medium cart fee of $19.43 per month and a large cart fee of $29.93 per month. All service levels include a large recycling cart and will not include composting services. The goal of volume-based pricing is to incentivize residents to recycle as much as possible to keep their trash output lower and cheaper, according to city materials.

Broomfield also plans on hiring two full-time employees to manage the new program. The cost for those staffers is estimated to be a combined $157,000, though staffing needs may go down once the program is implemented, according to the materials.

Ultimately, the council supported the ordinances, members said, largely to create a more sustainable Broomfield, with residents recycling more, so there is less waste. Additionally, fewer trash trucks coming in and out of neighborhoods would reduce pollution and wear on the roads, the ordinance states.

“I think the overall goal (of the program) is wise — something that we need to do for the betterment of our environment, and, for most people, a little savings on their trash, and hopefully a much better diversion rate in our community,” Ward 5 Councilmember Todd Cohen said.

Next up, the council is expected to revisit its discussion about possible impending water rate increases in a Sept. 17 study sesson, before discussing a proposed water rate ordinance at its Oct. 1 meeting.