Brighton will pitch the idea of converting to a single trash hauler at a series of public meetings this summer, councilors agreed.

Brighton Sustainability Coordinator Traci McLean outlined the process to determine how residents feel about the idea.

“We found it's best to do in-person surveying,” McLean said. “That's because we can answer questions people have ahead of time and make sure everyone has access to the materials they need. Typically, when you do in-person surveying, you get much more accurate results and a more representative sample of the community.”

The idea stems from the council discussion earlier in the year. Multiple trash haulers serve the city, they offer different services. Some of the haulers serving Brighton offer regular recycling collections while others don't. Some will collect yard waste, grass clippings and leaves while others do not.

Hiring a single trash hauler would offer consistent services, according to city memos, and cut down on the number of trash trucks traveling on neighborhood streets.

McLean said the city would host at least four events this spring, one in each ward. Staff would make a short presentation, offer information about the services and ask residents to take a survey. Results from that survey would guide council decisions later this year.

“If we don't have the turnout we want at these events — we are going to be wrapping those up by May, so it should give us enough time to also do some additional outreach at Brighton Summer Fest and the City BBQ just to get that sample up.”

The survey would collect demographics, their experience with their current trash hauler and what they think of changing to a single trash hauler.

“We really want to be sure we are collecting data that captures that tells use the experience they've had with their current provider, their perceptions about single haulers and what kind of options they'd liked to see in a contract,” McLean said. “We really want to understand what the community wants so we can tie that back to any recommendations we make once we get to that phase.”

Councilor Peter Padilla he has talked to some Brighton homeowners associations and thinks they might be interested in a citywide trash service, as long as they could end their contracts with their current haulers.

He favors the idea of surveying residents.

“I'm definitely excited to see what peoples' opinions are, how people want to engage and if people are satisfied with what they have and they don't want to switch or if they look at the options,” Padilla said. “And how they feel like having one truck on their streets versus four each day.”