Waste Management, which provides garbage collection for Wildwood, plans to upgrade its services after the City Commission approved a seven-year contract extension Monday night.
Due to expire next Oct. 1, the contract was extended to Sept. 30, 2024. Based on changes in the consumer price index, annual rate increases of 2 percent to 4 percent are authorized.
The contract also calls for the city, Waste Management and The Villages to negotiate expansion of the company’s services to portions of The Villages within Wildwood’s city limits such as the Village of Fenney along County Road 468 near U.S. 301.
Doug McCoy, Waste Management district manager in Wildwood, said the company plans to upgrade its recycling containers and use collection trucks powered by natural gas.
Residents will choose either 65-gallon or 35-gallon recycling carts, replacing the current 18-gallon bins. McCoy said the carts will help the company automate the recycling process.
He said Waste Management will build a temporary fueling facility for the natural gas powered trucks, which later will be replaced with a permanent facility.
McCoy said the company is willing to let Wildwood share the fueling facility if the city wants to convert its vehicles to natural gas.
“I think we’ll start looking at some stuff like that,” said Mayor Ed Wolf. “It makes sense.”
