Frequently Asked Questions:
Who do I call if my garbage has been missed?
Call 888-960-0008 if
your garbage pick-up has been missed.
What time do
I need to put my garbage out?
Garbage and recycling must be placed at the curbside by
6:00 a.m. on the designated collection day. Garbage pick up times can
vary week to week. Just because your garbage is "normally" picked up at
10:00 a.m. does not mean that you can wait till 9:00 a.m. to put your
garbage out. The hauler is not obligated to pick-up garbage and recycling
that was not at curbside by 6:00 a.m. on the day of scheduled pick-up.
Why can't I chose my own garbage hauler?
There are a number of reasons why the City of River
Falls has chosen to contract for residential garbage collection though
one hauler including:
-
Garbage trucks are the
single biggest contributor to deterioration of our local neighborhood
streets. Having one company's garbage truck travel down each city
street rather than have four or more different garbage companies trucks
drive down every street saves taxpayer money spent on road repair and
maintenance.
-
We know who to contact if
there is a litter problem associated with garbage pickup. If four or more
different companies are picking up you and your neighbor's garbage and
recycling, each company's finger would likely be point at another
company with regards to who garbage collection service is causing the
litter problem.
-
The monthly rate contracted
for by the City is lower than would be obtained by individuals
contracting for service. Talk to you friends in the surrounding
townships and ask them what their monthly rate is. It only makes
sense. It is most efficient for one hauler to pick up from each
and every home in neighborhood rather than having to skip one that would
be pickup up by another hauler.
Why did the City select Waste Management for this
service?
The City received bids from 6 different contractors in 2001 before
negotiating a final contract with Waste Management in 2002. Waste
Management not only offered a significantly lower price, they also included
commingled recycling pick up meaning that residents no longer had to
carefully sort things like cans, bottles, and plastics into separate bags.
Have my garbage rates increased?
In 2000, refuse and recycling rates for resident were $10.80/mo. In
2007, Waste Management began billing on a quarterly basis at $9.40/mo. This
represents a 13% reduction in solid waste fees compared to 7 years ago.
That rate was adjusted in 2008, but still remains 10% lower than the rate in
2000.
Why am I limited to a 35-gallon container for garbage?
The City promotes recycling and the idea of limiting the amount of solid
waste that it contributes to area landfills. The City will collect an
unlimited amount of residential recycling. A household that is
actively recycling in accordance with City ordinances should find a
35-gallon container to be adequate for most weeks in the year. On rare
occasions where a resident has more than 35-gallons of solids waste to
dispose of, they can purchase a tag for $1.55 and an additional container of
up to 35-gallons will be collected. If a resident consistently
produces more than 35-gallons of solid waste per week, they can arrange for
larger container through Waste Management for an additional fee.
Some weeks I don't even put out garbage, can I get a
refund?
No, the garbage hauler still needs to make their rounds past your house.
Tracking weekly collections from each and every address would likely add
more administrative cost than it would save in pickup costs.
I don't recycle, I should get a break?
Everyone should recycle. It's the law and there is no itemized charge for
recycling. If you don't recycle, you should pay more. Waste
Management is able to sell recyclable materials whereas they need to pay to
dump garbage in a landfill. Paying to dispose of materials that could
be recycled and sold makes no sense. Furthermore, if you don't
recycle, you will likely find your 35-gallon container inadequate and have
to pay additional for garbage tags or a larger container.
Why do I get billed from Waste Management rather than
River Falls Municipal Utilities (RFMU)?
River Falls Municipal Utilities (RFMU) was strictly used by the City for
Billing purposes. RFMU was not set up for customer service issues
associated with garbage collection. Because garbage was billed by RFMU,
many customers contacted them with garbage related customer service issues
and were then "passed on" to the City or Waste Management in an inefficient
manner. Bringing customer service, billing and pickup together under
one entity will result in better service for City Residents. The Waste
Management call center provides residents with direct access to a staff of
customer service representatives who have direct access to real time truck
locations, current billing information and other information necessary to
promptly deal with customer service issues in a timely and efficient manner.
It also provides you with toll-free calling (888-960-0008) from locations
away from River Falls. If you have an unsatisfactory experience with Waste
Managements customer service, call City Hall at 425-0900, ext. 146.
Furthermore, this change in billing eliminates a $0.10 per month charge by RFMU per bill as Waste Management has taken on billing for no additional
service fee.
This site is maintained by the City of River Falls
Engineering Department.
If you have comments or suggestions please email