Regular 2.
City Council Regular Business Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 09/28/2026
- TITLE
- Public Hearing and Resolution Amending Solid Waste Fees
- PRESENTED BY:
- Jennifer Duray
- Department:
- Public Works
Presentation:
Yes
Legal Review:
Yes
Project Number:
N/A
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing and approve the resolution amending solid waste fees.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff proposes amendments to the FY27 Solid Waste fee schedule to establish a $4.50 residential return trip fee, provide Landfill management discretion in accepting clean soil at no charge based on operational needs, and revise tire disposal fees for smaller quantities while retaining the existing per-ton rates for bulk tire loads. The proposed changes are intended to provide customers with an additional collection option, improve cost recovery, and allow the Landfill to more effectively manage incoming materials. Staff recommends approval of the resolution amending Schedules I and III of Resolution 26-11339.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
On May 26, 2026, the City Council adopted Resolution 26-11339 establishing Solid Waste residential and commercial collection and disposal fees and Billings Regional Landfill use fees for FY27. The resolution established the current residential collection fees in Schedule I and Landfill disposal fees in Schedule III. Since adoption of the FY27 rates, staff has identified several areas where the fee schedules should be amended to better reflect current collection and Landfill operations.
First, staff proposes establishing a $4.50 residential return trip fee for customers who request that the City return to collect a residential cart that was not collected during the regularly scheduled collection because the cart was not available at the required time or did not meet collection requirements. The fee would not apply when the return trip is necessary due to a missed collection attributable to the City. Currently, when a cart is not collected for reasons attributable to the customer, the customer may wait until the next regularly scheduled collection, self-haul the material to the Landfill, or request an extra pickup at the existing rate of $5.80 for up to three bags of solid waste. The proposed return trip fee would provide customers with an additional option to have the cart collected before the next regularly scheduled collection.
First, staff proposes establishing a $4.50 residential return trip fee for customers who request that the City return to collect a residential cart that was not collected during the regularly scheduled collection because the cart was not available at the required time or did not meet collection requirements. The fee would not apply when the return trip is necessary due to a missed collection attributable to the City. Currently, when a cart is not collected for reasons attributable to the customer, the customer may wait until the next regularly scheduled collection, self-haul the material to the Landfill, or request an extra pickup at the existing rate of $5.80 for up to three bags of solid waste. The proposed return trip fee would provide customers with an additional option to have the cart collected before the next regularly scheduled collection.
Second, the current fee schedule allows qualifying clean soil to be accepted at the Landfill at no charge. Clean soil can be beneficial for Landfill operations; however, the amount needed varies depending on operational conditions. The Landfill currently has an abundance of clean soil and limited need for additional material. The proposed amendment would give Landfill management discretion to accept qualifying clean soil at no charge when the material is needed for Landfill operations. When clean soil is not needed, the Landfill may charge the applicable municipal solid waste disposal rate or decline to accept the material. The existing requirements for determining whether material qualifies as clean soil would remain unchanged.
Finally, staff proposes revising the tire disposal fee structure. The current schedule charges tires by weight at rates of $166 per ton for City of Billings waste, $249 per ton for Montana waste originating outside Billings, and $332 per ton for out-of-state waste. The proposed amendment would retain the existing per-ton rates for bulk tire loads while establishing per-tire rates for smaller quantities. City residential customers would be permitted to dispose of up to four passenger vehicle or pickup tires per load at no charge, with additional tires charged at $4 each. Passenger vehicle and pickup tires originating in Yellowstone County and other adjacent counties would be charged $6 each. Semi-truck tires would be charged $8 each for City-origin waste and $12 each for County-origin waste, while heavy-equipment tires would be charged $20 each for City-origin waste and $30 each for County-origin waste.
The proposed amendments are intended to provide residential customers with an additional collection option while allowing the Landfill to better manage incoming materials and recover costs based on operational needs.
The attached resolution identifies the proposed revisions to Schedules I and III in red.
FISCAL EFFECTS
The financial impact of the proposed fee amendments is unknown and will depend on customer utilization of the residential return trip service and the quantity and type of materials received at the Landfill. The amendments are intended to provide additional service options, improve cost recovery, and allow the Landfill to manage incoming materials based on operational needs. No significant fiscal impact is anticipated.
STAKEHOLDERS
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Approve the recommended resolution;
- Apporve an amended resolution; or,
- Not approve the resolution.