The city of Minnetonka has rolled out a new recycling initiative that promises to streamline organics recycling for all its residents, starting in 2025. As per a recent announcement, the city council has sanctioned a contract with Republic Services to handle organized collection of organic recyclables. This consolidation of services with a single hauler is expected to be a cost-saving maneuver for the community.
Despite the optionality of participation, all Minnetonka dwellers are footing the bill for curbside organics collection due to state law and a Hennepin County ordinance, effective since 2023. Under the umbrella of the new contract, the monthly rate for this service is pegged at $3.10, admittedly less than what residents were previously shelling out to existing providers. The city has committed to working with these current haulers to offload their transition process.
In a related development, the city council has also passed a motion to incrementally raise utility rates across various services. Starting in 2025, residents will see a 3.75 percent uptick in both the water variable rate and fixed infrastructure fee and in the sanitary sewer variable rate. The stormwater service isn't far behind, stepping up a notch by 4 percent. Collectively, these adjustments are projected to nudge quarterly utility bills upwards by approximately $16.80 to $18.50 for households using 9,000 to 15,000 gallons of water—a spectrum charting low to average water usage. Included in these numbers is the organics recycling rate which the residents will pay through their city utility bill, aligning it with the regular recycling charge structure.
