IRON MOUNTAIN — After hearing from residents Monday, Iron Mountain may be ready to finalize a proposal for automated trash collection within a month or so, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said.

About 20 people attended a special city council hearing on the plan, with some urging a recycling component as well. Others had concerns about the unique topography of their properties, or the difficulties of winter.

“There are things that we’re going to have to work through,” Mayor Dale Alessandrini said.

Under the plan, each household is to receive a 95-gallon wheeled cart, with all collections moved from alleys to the street. Residents would be able to acquire additional carts at $1.50 per month.

The option of smaller carts, or a move to alley collections for some homes, were among the suggestions heard Monday.

GFL Environmental took over trash pickups in Iron Mountain when it acquired Great American Environmental Services of Kingsford in October.

The company proposes using trucks equipped with a device that is able to lift, empty and return a cart while the operator remains inside the cab. The carts, meanwhile, are designed to be maneuverable and easy to roll.

Such a system is already the norm in a number of other communities in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.