City Council Meeting Date: October 6, 2026
To: Mayor and Members of Council
City Administrator
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
David Bennett, Public Works Director/City Engineer
Title
Consider the release of Residential Curbside Compost/Organic Recycling Request for Proposal.
Body
Action Requested:
City Council is asked to approve a motion to release the request for proposal for Residential Curbside Compost/Organic Recycling Program.
Summary Report:
The City Council is requested to authorize the request for proposals for Residential Curbside Compost/Organic Recycling Program.
At the August 3 Council meeting, a motion was made by Council Member Ness, seconded by Council Member Sokup, “to direct staff to prepare bids, timelines and other relevant information for a universal residential curbside organic recycling program for further Council review and consideration of release for proposals.” Motion passed 6-1 (Yes = Ness, Holmes, Sokup, Dahlen, Zweifel; No = Beumer; Absent = Peterson-White).
Consistent with that direction, staff has prepared a proposed Request for Proposals for residential curbside organics recycling collection services. Key elements of the proposed RFP include:
• A five-year residential collection contract
• Anticipated service beginning June 1, 2027, allowing approximately six months for contractor preparation following contract award
• Initial collection focused on food scraps
• A required 5-gallon container option, with containers no larger than 10 gallons
• Contractor education and contamination reduction requirements
• Participation tracking and reporting requirements
• Evaluation of proposals based on qualifications and experience, collection operations, participation and education strategies, contamination reduction and overall responsiveness to the RFP
Consistent with Council’s prior direction, the purpose of this evening’s discussion is to review the proposed RFP and determine whether it is ready for release. Staff recommends focusing on the scope of services, collection requirements, implementation schedule, reporting expectations, evaluation criteria, and any amendments needed to obtain useful and comparable proposals. Questions about broader program considerations are welcome where they affect what the RFP should require or what information respondents should provide. Building on the Council’s prior discussions, a fuller review of program benefits, costs, and tradeoffs would be most useful once proposals are received and actual pricing and service information are available.
Releasing the RFP would allow the City to obtain competitive proposals and more detailed information about program costs and service options. It does not authorize program implementation or commit the City to awarding a contract. Staff anticipates returning the results for Council review in November and December, consistent with the tentative timeline below. Those discussions would provide an opportunity to evaluate pricing, projected participation and diversion, environmental benefits, and other program tradeoffs before Council decides whether to proceed.
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
Comprehensive Plan
• Strategy: Reduce solid waste through diversion, recycling and reuse (Northfield will be a zero-waste community)
• Outcomes: 1) Northfield has robust policies and procedures in place to reduce the quantity of solid waste that is sent to the Rice County landfill; and 2) All organic materials are diverted from the waste stream through a community-wide curbside compost collection system available to all property owners and renters
• Coordinate with local waste and recycling haulers to offer curbside compost pick up for residents
Climate Action Plan
• Calls out Materials & Waste as one of six core areas of focus- Zero Waste Plan
• Greenhouse Gas emissions: In 2024, waste was 3% of community wide emissions
• Presented to Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) on June 17, 2026.
• Recommendation: EQC recommends exploring a universal organics program that is consistent with the recommended motion.
Alternative Options:
Council could direct any changes necessary and amend in a motion to approve the RFP. Staff does not have other alternate options with the proposal as written.
Financial Impacts:
There is no financial commitment associated with releasing the RFP. The RFP will allow staff to obtain competitive proposals and more detailed information regarding program costs. Any future contract award or implementation costs would be presented to City Council for consideration.
Tentative Timelines:
ü December 2, 2025: Council award of residential waste hauling contract with Dicks Sanitation, Inc. (2026-2030) excluding universal curbside composting. Council had expressed interest to continue to review a universal curbside compost program for consideration in 2026
ü June 17, 2026: EQC recommendation to explore universal organics program
ü July 7, 2026: Council consensus on Option 3 universal residential curbside program
ü July 14, 2026: Council worksession conformation of commitment at July 7, 2026 to pursue a universal residential curbside compost program
ü August 3, 2026: Council approval directing staff to prepare RFP, bid documents and proposal release for council consideration
o October 6, 2026: Council review RFP and bid documents and authorize bid
o October 12, 2026: RFP Opens
o November 13, 2026: RFP Closes
*November 17, 2026: City Council worksession (tentative agenda item dependent on bid information received for initial review and discussion as the information would need to come supplemental)
o December 2, 2026: City Council decision on RFP results and contract award
o June 1, 2027: Anticipated program implementation