The city of Whitefish has renewed its contract with North Valley Refuse for garbage collection and maintaining the city’s recycling site.

Since May 2004, the city has contracted with the company for garbage collection and disposal. Changes in the new contract include shifting billing responsibilities to NVR, animal resistant containers for customers and an update that includes the central recycling site.

“In an effort to change some of the roles and responsibilities between the city and NVR, and provide better solid waste collection services for the residents and business owners of Whitefish, staff has negotiated a revised 5-year contract,” Public Works Director Craig Workman said.

As part of the contract, an annual rate increase of 3 percent is permitted for garbage collection. The latest increase, which went into effect last fall, resulted in an additional charge of about 27 cents per month for a typical residential customer, according to Workman.

Billing for garbage service will shift from the city to North Valley Refuse. Property owners will no longer be billed on their city utility bill for garbage service, but will be billed directly from NVR.

Workman said the change is meant to streamline billing services and remove the city as the “middleman” from bill collection.

Following an increase in bear activity in town, the city in 2014 expanded its bear ordinance to the entire city. The law requires all residents to keep their garbage cans in a secure location until 4 a.m. on the day of pickup, and then return containers by 7 p.m. the same day.

At the time, NVR was looking to obtain bear-resistant containers but was waiting on a redesign of the carts. Now, NVR has 96-gallon automated animal resistant containers which can be offered to customers.

The updated contract also reflects changes to the city’s recycling site requiring NVR to only maintain the new site. In an effort to improve service, a centralized recycling site was created at the city’s snow lot near the corner of Columbia Avenue and Railway Street. The three satellite sites in town were closed.

“The goal of the centralized site is to provide adequate access to residents throughout the city, and adequate storage so the site remains usable during peak demand periods,” Workman said.

The revised contract still contains language that NVR will not charge city residents and businesses for recycling services at the new site. NVR is allowed to charge for separate curbside collection at rates they set.