Kellogg modernizes sanitation

KELLOGG - The city of Kellogg, through a bid process that was finalized in September, has modernized its sanitation department and, at the same time, is providing brand new city-owned trash cans to its residents.

Kellogg has always picked up its own garbage and residents have had to purchase their own cans.

But after successfully completing a competitive bid with Spokane-based Solid Waste Systems in September, the city will now be providing between 750 to 800 new trash cans.

Craig Lewis, superintendent of public works, estimated those cans will be distributed to residents by the end of December.

Once the city cans are in place, the old cans will no longer be dumped as the trucks will only pick up the new cans.

According to Lewis and Councilman Todd Goodson, the size of the new cans will match whatever the resident currently has.

For example, if a resident has two cans those will be replaced with a 64-gallon trash can, while people who have three trash cans will receive a 95-gallon can.

The city's bid for the 11,032 cans - extras were purchased in the case of new residents and to have as backups - cost $61,970, Goodson said.

That money came out of the sanitation fund.

"We're not changing the way we're doing our routes," Lewis said. "Residents now don't have to worry about buying cans."

And in an effort to modernize the sanitation department and create less wear and tear on its workers, the city purchased two cart tippers for both of the garbage trucks.

The cart tipper is a smaller sized piece of equipment which automatically dumps resident's trash cans into the truck.

"We're trying to automate to get into the 21st century," Goodson said.

Each cart tipper cost $5,500 and was purchased from Western Systems out of Spokane, who installed them on the trucks.

"The council decided it's better to keep our sanitation department to ensure garbage is picked up and the town is kept clean," Goodson said.

Residents can have their old cans taken away by the city once the new ones arrive and if they want to keep them, residents are asked to place them out of the way.

New cans will need to be placed curbside.