KINGSFORD — Kingsford will look into whether it might cost less to contract out for residential garbage collection rather than continue to have the city offer the service.

The council Monday voted 3-2 to seek proposals for sanitation pickup and disposal. In dissent were council members Cynthia Dixon Miller and Dennis Baldinelli.

City Manager Mike Stelmaszek said he and Public Works Director Jeff DeMuri have been working with the city attorney to develop a request for proposals to obtain bids and other information that can be compared to what the city now spends.

With two workers retiring and the city’s aging garbage trucks, it might prove better to have a private company handle the service, they said.

“We don’t know if it will be a good idea or cheaper,” Stelmaszek said. “We have some of the highest costs for garbage.”

The RFPs must come from automated service providers that can do weekly curbside residential pickup and disposal of solid waste, with an additional proposal to add a monthly curbside pickup and disposal of recyclable materials. The contractor would supply all receptacle containers.

Residents already pay for garbage collection on their city water/sewer bills and can choose to pay for up to five cans. Under the new proposal, they could pay to have up to two 96-gallon covered containers supplied by the contractor. They would also have a recycling bin, which would save on waste going to landfill.

The RFPs must be received by 4:30 p.m. Feb. 21. They will be forwarded to the city planning commission for review and then back to the council for a final decision.

Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.