City okays new trash contactor

The City of Clarendon approved a new trash service for the city last week and authorized a 12 percent increase in garbage rates.

In a called meeting August 4, the city council formally approved assigning the contract of Diversified Waste Management of Amarillo to Waste Connections after haggling with the new company for several weeks.

Diversified has provided Clarendon’s trash services for three years; but earlier this year, the company sold its trash collection service to Waste Connections.

Diversified’s contract with the city gave it the ability to request rate increases annually, but it had never done so, according to City Administrator David Dockery.

“Waste Connections initially wanted a rate increase of 17.5 percent,” Dockery said. “If you look back at the Consumer Price Index over the last three years, that’s where that figure comes from. But the city felt like that was too big a jump all at once.”

Dockery said the city recognizes that the cost of services has risen due to inflation and the city also believes that trash collection is an essential service that no one wants to do without.

In assuming Diversified’s contract, the new company will also have the right to request rate increases annualy.