Committee of the Whole Meeting: Solid Waste Contract Discussion

The City of Toledo Committee of the Whole met on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 4:00 PM in City Council Chambers to discuss a proposed new refuse and recycling contract. The administration recommended entering into a five-year contract with Priority Waste, citing improved accountability, technology, and bulk collection. The meeting included presentations, council member questions, and public testimony, with many speakers opposing the switch due to cost, union labor concerns, and Priority Waste's track record.

Consent Calendar

• None noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Janet Beam (Hill Avenue resident) expressed support for Republic Services, noting A+ Better Business Bureau rating (Priority rated F), and stated her neighborhood has no complaints and issues are resolved quickly.
• Diana Schreiner (Bancroft Hills resident, United Neighborhood Residents representative) supported Republic, criticized Priority as non-union, and said Republic has resolved issues since weekly bulk pickup began.
• Mark Schmiehausen (Principal Officer/President, Teamsters Local 20) accused Priority of violating union rights: claimed that after Teamsters Local 247 won an election to represent 30 drivers in Detroit, Priority fired 20 of them the next day. He urged council not to replace union workers with a non-union contractor.
• Carlton Surtman (Toledo homeowner since 1971, Point Place) praised Republic's service improvements since January (weekly bulk pickup without scheduling) and called switching to Priority a gamble with taxpayers' money.
• Blair Johnson (South Toledo resident, entrepreneur) questioned Priority's capacity, accountability, and operational readiness, noting the tight timeline for hiring and equipment. He also cited illegal dumping as a broader issue and asked about cost impacts on residents.
• Slinda Hendrix (East Toledo resident, community activist) cited 1984 city blight commission proposals, praised Republic's recent improvements, and insisted on mandatory union labor in any contract.
• Miranda Napier (East Toledo resident) reported positive experiences with Republic, with issues resolved same day, and opposed switching to a non-union company.
• Rick Rolfe (General Manager, Republic Services) stated Republic submitted the lowest cost proposal ($1.7 million lower than Priority in year one) and noted Ohio law requires selection of lowest and best bidder unless a real emergency exists, which he argued does not. He also highlighted Republic's 154 Toledo employees (82 living in city/county) and recent service improvements.
• Gary Lenhart (community activist) criticized Republic historically but acknowledged recent improvements; opposed Priority due to non-union status, high cost ($8.7 million over five years vs. Republic), and Priority's documented struggles in Michigan (missed pickups, default proceedings). He called for a two-year contract with performance renewal.
• Fanny Effler (Old West End Association, Toledo Old Town Neighborhood Association) expressed frustration with lack of notice about the meeting, praised Republic's responsiveness, and opposed the switch.
• Renee Dallas (Bancroft Hills area resident) urged council to address landlord and tenant accountability rather than solely blaming Republic or Priority.
• Mike Haynes (President, Toledo Police Patrolmen's Association) highlighted budget pressures, urged against paying more for similar service, and supported shorter contracts with opt-out clauses based on performance.
• Tony Toddy (UAW Local 14 President, downtown Toledo resident) cited his experience with union-busting trash company Value Point and opposed Priority, warning of similar problems.
• Paul Konwinski (Secretary-Treasurer, Teamsters Local 20) cited multiple Michigan communities (Dexter, Orient Township, Macomb Township, West Bloomfield) with service complaints, defaults, and fines against Priority. He argued the higher contract cost could force cuts to city employees (police, blight team).
• Mark Sobczak (former Council President) requested data on Priority's non-union wages, questioned where Priority would house vehicles, and stressed that enforcement of set-out rules is key regardless of provider.
• Susan Tyson (Arlington area resident) supported Republic for two years with closer oversight, criticized rental property blight, and worried about cost increases on fixed income.
• Kathy Shotty (South End resident) supported Republic and called for more enforcement staff.
• Dylan Keel (resident) noted Priority fired its founder/CEO in February 2026, detailed higher daily cost ($4,856 more per day than Republic), and recited complaints from Michigan communities (Macomb Township default, Bloomfield Hills switch).
• Daniel Rabb (President, Toledo Police Command Officers Association) opposed higher cost given city budget cuts and delayed police classes; noted only 3,600 residents responded to survey out of 200,000+.
• Redon Jones (UAW Local 12 member, Point Place) opposed outsourcing to non-union company.
• Larry Keel (Republic employee, 15 years, former city solid waste worker) said he would be displaced and appealed to council to retain Republic.
• Jerry Harris (Republic sales) stated he hears negative comments about Priority from businesses daily due to rapid expansion and service issues.
• Cheryl Gaston (Republic employee) asked council to give Republic a chance to fix issues, noting many council members have called her directly to resolve problems.
• Jade Sendley (Republic swing driver) shared her positive experience: Republic provided CDL training and career advancement.

Discussion Items

• Administration Presentation: Megan Robson (Chief of Operations), Ryan Murphy (Commissioner of Solid Waste), Vince Huyumpa (CEO of Priority Waste), and Austin Azaretti (Priority's Director of Integrated Technologies) presented the recommendation. They noted the current contract with Republic via Lucas County Solid Waste Management District expires August 31, 2026. The city received proposals from Republic, Priority, Rumpke, and FCC Environmental. Selection committees narrowed to Priority and Republic. Priority's bid was $1,120,000/month (modified); Republic's was $977,600/month. Priority's original bid was $935,300/month, lowest at first.
• Key Selling Points for Priority:
  • Five-year contract with five-year renewal option.
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA) with performance metrics (e.g., call answer within 90 seconds, >98% route completion).
  • Weekly bulk collection (up to 5 items) on same day as refuse.
  • Technology: cameras on every truck, real-time route monitoring, dedicated Toledo customer service (LDCs), and a resident portal.
  • Commitment to unionization (met with Teamsters Local 20); bid includes union wages.
  • Commitment to hire Toledo residents.
  • No impact on city employees (contract covers curbside only).
• Cost Comparison: The administration stated Priority's higher cost ($1.12M/month vs. Republic's $977,600/month) provides value through reduced blight and improved accountability, potentially lowering the city's $1.7 million annual blight team expense. Republic's bid is 3% lower than current rates.
• Reasons for Bypassing Solid Waste District: The city wants direct contract control to enforce SLAs; the county's contract lacked enforcement mechanisms.
• Council Concerns:
  • Unionization: Several council members (Kramer, Martinez, Sarantou, McPherson) questioned Priority's union stance. Priority stated future Toledo workers could choose to unionize; they are neutral. Councilwoman McPherson expressed skepticism, noting Republic is Teamster Local 20 (54 union employees). Councilman Komives highlighted that Republic's contract lacked SLAs and accountability for 10 years.
  • Cost: Councilman Sarantou calculated $8.75 million more over five years with Priority. Councilman Martinez asked about fuel escalators; administration confirmed no changes to quoted prices.
  • Service Record: Councilman Komives cited Republic's 2021 notice of breach for bulk collection failures. Councilwoman Kramer noted Republic improved bulk only after competition from Priority. Councilwoman Jones raised Priority's CEO shakeup (founder fired Feb. 2026) and Michigan complaints; Priority's Vince Huyumpa acknowledged change was due to ideological differences but insisted company is stable.
  • Transition: Questions about timeline (Sept. 1 start, hiring in July/August), equipment availability, and contingency if Republic walks away. Priority cited experience with Flint and Hamtramck transitions under tight timelines.
  • Contract Length: Council members (McPherson, Gaddis) favored two- or three-year terms with performance reviews; administration preferred five years with renewal option.
• Referrals: Council members requested data on blight team history (Gaddis), communications with Lucas County Solid Waste regarding Republic complaints (Sarantou), and a timeline of administration actions (Gaddis).

Key Outcomes

• No vote was taken. The ordinance (O-113-26) is on first reading; a final vote is expected in approximately three weeks.
• Council directed the administration to provide additional data: blight team statistics, survey results, sample dashboards from Priority's other communities, and details on Priority's recruitment plan and union wage comparisons.
• Council member Komives emphasized the body will continue asking questions and doing homework before a decision.
• Public comments and council discussion made clear that union labor, cost, and track record are central issues. Several council members (McPherson, Sarantou, Komives) indicated leaning toward Republic or a shorter contract with strong SLAs.