During their regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 15, the Kalona City Council passed a resolution approving the transfer of the garbage and recycling contract from Johnson County Refuse to LRS Recycling. City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said that LRS Recycling is in the process of purchasing Johnson County Refuse, but does not anticipate many, if any, changes to the services provided to the city of Kalona.

“Current staff and management will stay for probably two to three years, so what we’re going to see as a community in the near future is going to be the same — same drivers, same trucks, same branding, same everything,” said Schlabaugh.

The current contract for garbage and recycling services runs through June 30, 2023 and at that time, the city will work with LRS Recycling in deciding whether to renew or extend the existing contract or whether the city will look for other bids for the service.

The council also passed the TIF Certification for 2022-23 and approved the YMCA Recreation Services Contract. The council also approved the East Alley approach replacement on 4th Street between C Ave and D Ave, which is between two properties owned by Schlabaugh. Schlabaugh said he brought the issue to the council because he wanted to be as transparent as possible, noting that the work needs to be done and no other property owner has been asked to pay towards the project. The council agreed that the city should stay consistent by replacing the panels.