The Nebraska City school board told Superintendent Jeff Edwards Monday to explore alternatives to Nebraska City’s franchise with Allied Refuse for garbage collection.
The Waste Connections company quoted the school a garbage collection cost next year of $25,022, which is about 20 percent higher than the previous year.
The school paid $18,555 in 2007, $19,853 in 2009 and $20,449 this year.
Edwards said the company offered no explanation for the jump in prices this year.
The city pays about $150,000 a year on a loan used to build the solid waste transfer station that replaced the Otoe County landfill.
To make the loan payment, the agency leases the transfer station to Allied Refuse for $84,000 a year.
The city also grants Allied Refuse a franchise agreement for garbage collection services for $84,000 a year.
Final payment on the loan for the facility is scheduled in 2014, the year the franchise agreement with Allied Refuse expires.
Edwards said city officials explained to him that no other service can collect garbage in Nebraska City.
Board member Tom Farrell noted that the school was exempt from the city’s zoning regulations. The city has a ban against pole signs, but the school was able to build its marquee sign at the high school.
He said it might be possible that the school is also exempt from the city’s franchise agreement.
