NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio – The city’s five-year contract with Republic Services for solid waste and recycling pickup expires Dec. 31.

While officials consider whether to exercise a one-year option, Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones said North Olmsted is in the process of bringing residents of undesignated streets (single-family homeowner associations) back under the protection of city-funded services.

There are currently 678 houses in non-owned streets in the city.

“Like most communities, North Olmsted pays for garbage collection on certain streets,” she said.

“Many years ago, the previous government cut the same service for non-dedicated roads due to cost reasons. I just didn’t think that was very fair and so I campaigned to restore this service.”

This began last year when the city council decided to cover 25 percent of the additional costs, followed this year by 50 percent.

The City Council is expected to pass a new ordinance increasing that percentage to 75 percent next year and 100 percent in 2026.

“Our budget had to be able to absorb the additional costs that were coming our way, so we met with Republic,” she said.

“It was determined that the best and cleanest way to do this is not to reopen our current contract, but to treat it as an additional expense and phase it in gradually until we eventually enter into a new contract with Republic. It is my intention to have these additional homes 100 percent included in the new contract before we make an offer.”

The expected cost increase for the 75 percent share in 2025 is $123,829, with the City spending $2,675,499 for solid waste and recycling collection in 2025.

Residents of non-designated streets will be required to pay the 2025 rate of $20.29, which will be credited to them.

The mayor emphasized that apartments, condominiums or commercial premises are not included.

“I felt it was fair to treat our residents equally if you live in a single-family home on a private street or a non-private street and put your trash at the end of the driveway just like everyone else,” she said.

“Again, this is a relatively small number of houses. These residents pay the same property and income taxes as everyone else.”

Read more news from the Sun-Post-Herald Here.