Contract for recycling services before city council

When the Yuma City Council meets this week, it will be asked to approve a negotiated contract for recycling services to Allied Waste Transportation.

Under the contract, the city would pick up recyclables once a week from residents and transport them to the transfer station for processing.

Allied Waste would provide 21,000 recycling carts to the city at no cost, transport recyclables to the materials recovery facility, process and sell recyclables, and provide payments to the city each month based on recycled tonnage. The company also would conduct educational services to city residents.

Items that would be accepted for recycling include plastics, paper, metal and glass.

The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers of Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza.

Before acting on the motion, the council will be briefed on the proposed recycling agreement during a work session at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers. Joel Olea, city director of field operations, also will report on options that were researched for an alternative municipal recycling program.

Also during the work session, the council will hear a presentation on progress of a plan to redevelop the 4th Avenue corridor, in particular the intersection of 4th Avenue and 16th Street. The presentation will be made by Charles Flynn, executive director of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, and consultant David Fackler of Nielsen and Fackler Planning and Development.

The redevelopment plan will come up again during Wednesday's meeting with a public hearing and possible action on a resolution to amend the North End Redevelopment Plan to include the larger area. Adoption of the resolution requires a two-thirds vote of the council.

It follows approval by the council in February to expand the redevelopment area and the city's Central Business District.

If approved, the amended plan would be used to encourage both public and private investment in the revitalization of the redevelopment area. The plan also identifies appropriate land uses, traffic, public transportation, public utilities and public improvements, along with any proposed changes to land use and building regulatory requirements to improve existing conditions in the area.

And the plan contains an implementation strategy that creates a tool kit of economic development incentives the city can employ to encourage and assist private investment.

As Wednesday is the council's first meeting of the new year, other business includes the selection of a deputy mayor and appointment of council members to represent the city on a variety of organizations.

Complete agendas for both meetings are available on the city's website at yumaaz.gov.

For those who are unable to attend a meeting in person, city council meetings and work sessions are broadcast live on Time Warner Channel 73.