IRON MOUNTAIN — A change to automated side-load trash collection and carts is in the works for Iron Mountain residents.

The city council Monday agreed to draft a contract with GFL Environmental USA to accommodate the switch. Most collections will be moved from alleys to the street, but some exceptions will be allowed.

Details and the timing of the switch still need to be decided. The council expects to discuss the contract further at its Oct. 17 meeting.

GFL will be able to do alley pickup in areas where the topography makes it too difficult to move wheeled carts to the street, City Manager Jordan Stanchina said.

“Some of the alleys will be with the automated truck and some, due to the limited width, will need a smaller truck,” Stanchina said in a memo to the council.

The automated trucks are equipped with a lifting device on the curbside. The operator is able to control the lifting, emptying and return of a cart without ever leaving the cab. The carts are designed to be maneuverable and easy to roll.

On July 25, about 20 people attended a hearing on the plan, with some urging a recycling component as well. Others had worries about the unique topography of their properties, or the difficulties of winter.

“The ones that don’t like the idea are older people,” Mayor Dale Alessandrini said Monday, adding he hopes their concerns can be worked out.

The city might add recycling later, but Stanchina recommended doing “one thing at a time.” Council member Kyle Blomquist said he favors immediately introducing recycling.

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

Automated collection already is the norm in a number of other communities in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin.

Stanchina said one of the key factors is saving wear and tear on alleys. The city now switches to curbside collection in the spring due to the weight of the trucks.