Meeting primer: Sturgis City Commission
City Manager Andrew Kuk will present options for recycling in 2026 and beyond when the Sturgis City Commission meets Wednesday. While alternatives have been informally discussed, this marks the first formal action taken by the commission since the July decision to discontinue its curbside recycling program.
The Sturgis City Commission will meet Wednesday and consider options for how the city might move forward after voting in July to end its curbside recycling program at the end of the year.
City Manager Andrew Kuk will present options for recycling in 2026 and beyond. The presentation will include:
- A one-year “gap” contract to maintain service if a citizen-led ballot initiative to restore recycling were to pass.
- Maintaining curbside recycling as a resident-fee program.
- Establishing a drop-off site, with cost estimates and best practices from other communities.
- Alternative recycling services if neither curbside nor a drop-off site is maintained.
The discussion follows months of public feedback after commissioners voted July 23 to discontinue curbside recycling amid rising costs. Since then, commissioners report dozens of residents have contacted them to urge the city to preserve the program, with many voicing their concerns directly at meetings. While alternatives have been informally discussed, this marks the first formal action taken by the commission since the July decision.
The city originally decided to cut the program after Borden Waste Management, its current provider, raised prices in a way that would leave Sturgis with a more than $150,000 shortfall. Previously, the city paid $78,000 annually for recycling, fully covered by a $2 monthly fee on residential utility bills.
After Kuk’s presentation will be the public comment section of the meeting.
Other business
In other business, commissioners will consider leasing two new police vehicles to replace aging Dodge Durangos, awarding more than $670,000 in street rehabilitation projects across several neighborhoods, and approving the first phase of storm sewer cleaning on North Centerville Road, a project tied to the ongoing EPA Superfund cleanup with costs to be reimbursed by Newell Brands. Commissioners will also vote on whether to continue opting out of state-imposed health care spending caps for city employees, and approve routine budget amendments.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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