Minneapolis considers new trash hauling contract

The Minneapolis city council will consider a new garbage hauling contract Friday.

For the last 37 years, half of the city has been covered by city trucks and the other half by a consortium of smaller garbage haulers called Minneapolis Refuse, Inc. or MRI.

That contract had not been put up for competitive bid until earlier this year. The new contract will split the consortium's half of the city 60/40 with Aspen Waste System Inc. Sixty percent will go to MRI.

But MRI chairman Greg Burt said the new contract will be bad for their business.

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"Taking away 41 percent of the haulers business, or 20,000 accounts is going to be extremely detrimental. It will affect six to seven haulers. Potentially we could lose seven haulers within MRI," Burt said.

The new contract comes with a stipulation that both the MRI hauler's consortium and Aspen have 10 days to sign a waiver that says they will not sue the city over the bid process.

If either company does not sign the waiver, the other will be awarded the full portion of the garbage contract.

Greg Burt said MRI shareholders will meet next week to consider the offer.