Okmulgee residents will soon experience changes in how their residential trash is collected. Beginning Oct. 28, the city will outsource its residential sanitation services to Tulsa-based American Waste Control. This decision, approved by the city council in early October, follows ongoing issues with staffing shortages, aging equipment and rising maintenance costs, according to City Manager Rickey Pearson and Public Works Director Rachel Patterson.

Pearson, reflecting on years of challenges, ex- plained the need for the change. “We’ve had trouble getting drivers and keeping employees, even after raising wages. It got to the point where we were relying on other departments just to keep up with trash routes,” he said. The city tried various solutions, but by early 2023, Pearson was at his wit’s end.

“I was out of ideas. We needed to fix this problem,” he added.

After contacting several companies, Pearson found American Waste Control to be the best fit for Okmulgee. “They guaranteed trash service every week, and they’re in better shape than we are,” Pearson said. The city will enter a three-year contract with the company, with no price increases for the first two years. In the third year, there may be a modest 5% increase, which amounts to roughly 50 cents per month. However, Pearson reassured residents: “We can absorb that cost without raising rates on the citizens.”

The transition will begin on Oct. 28, with American Waste Control starting residential trash pickups at 6 a.m. Residents are advised to place their trash out the night before.

Pearson emphasized that aside from the new trucks and earlier pickup time, the service will remain largely the same. “They guaranteed that the only difference residents will see is the color of the trucks on the street,” he said.

— Holiday Pickup Schedule & Guidelines

The city also announced a slight change to the holiday pickup schedule under the new service. The updated schedule is as follows:

• Veterans Day (Nov. 11): Routes will run on schedule with no interruptions.

• Thanksgiving (Nov. 28): No service on Thursday. Thursday pickup will shift to Friday, and Friday’s pickup will shift to Saturday.

• Christmas (Dec. 25): No service on Wednesday. Wednesday’s pickup will shift to Thursday, Thursday’s to Friday, and Friday’s to Saturday.

• New Year’s Day (Jan. 1): No service on Wednesday. Wednesday’s pickup will shift to Thursday, Thursday’s to Friday, and Friday’s to Saturday.

-In addition, residents are reminded to bag all trash and place it in their carts with the lids closed.

Please don’t put extra bags beside your cart – they won’t be picked up.

— Grant Application to Upgrade City Vehicles While outsourcing residential trash collection will relieve some of the strain on the city, Public Works Director Rachel Patterson is working on securing a grant to help upgrade the city’s aging sanitation fleet. At the end of September, Patterson applied for a grant through the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), part of a Volkswagen settlement over emissions violations. The grant could fund the replacement of five vehicles: four dump trucks and one sanitation truck.

“Volkswagen fudged their diesel engine standards, and the federal government fined them. Part of that fine is being distributed to help cities like ours get rid of older, dirtier engines,” Patterson explained. The total cost of replacing the trucks is estimated at $945,166, with one sanitation truck alone priced at over $400,000.

The grant, however, is competitive. “It’s a pointsbased system,” Patterson said, noting that the city earns more points for reducing emissions and being near higher-priority areas like Tulsa. “It’s not all or nothing—we could get funding for one truck or several, depending on how we rank.”

If awarded, the grant could ease some of the financial burden associated with maintaining the city’s aging fleet. “Some of our trucks are 20 years old, and it can take up to two years to get a new sanitation truck. Replacing even one would make a big difference,” Patterson said. The city expects to hear back about the grant by November.

— Moving Forward

Pearson and Patterson emphasized that these changes aim to improve service reliability and keep costs stable for residents. Pearson, in particular, stressed that maintaining service at the current price is a priority. “I don’t think the solution is to raise prices on the citizens,” he said. “We’re doing our best to keep the cost of service down and provide a better, more reliable experience.”

Flyers detailing the new trash collection schedule and guidelines will be distributed to residents in the coming weeks. Residents are encouraged to stay informed and reach out with any questions as Okmulgee makes these necessary adjustments to its public services.

“We’re making sure that our citizens continue to receive dependable service, while at the same time addressing the challenges we’ve faced in keeping up with equipment and staffing,” Pearson concluded. “This is the best deal for the city.”