Mayor: Changing Trash Haulers Not Big Change

Don't anticipate any big changes with your trash removal as the City of Westlake brings in a new trash hauling company, Mayor Dennis Clough said Monday.

Rumpke, which was in the city at last week's City Council meeting, will begin collecting trash here on August 1, Clough said.

Clough said there were no complaints with soon-to-be-former hauler BFI/Allied Waste.

"They did a great job for us," he said.

But $400,000 in savings plus sterling references made Rumpke too good to pass up, he added.

Clough said there will be no changes in trash pick-up, or what day residents get their trash picked up.

"There may be a period of adjustment as they get used to the routes," Clough said of Rumpke. Any residents who have questions or issues with the new service should contact .

But changes could be coming.

Clough said the city is considering going to automated trash pick-up, where standardized trash and recycling cans are issued and trucks have mechanical attachments to pick up the cans and empty them into the trucks.

It's in the deal with Rumpke that the decision about automated trash pick-up will be decided by two years into the contract.

The wait serves two purposes, Clough said. First, it gives the city time to see how Rumpke does the job for Westlake.

Second, Clough said, city officials want to observe how other nearby cities fare with automated trash pick-up.

"We have a chance to learn from them, what works, what doesn't, etcetera," Clough said. "We wanted to take advantage of that rather than jumping in."

In 18 months, city officials will begin the decision-making process. There will be public hearings for residents to have their say, Clough said.