The city will look at whether 46,000 customers would benefit from having outside companies, city workers or a combination to collect trash, solid waste, recycling and vegetation, said Dan Grippo, Municipal Services director.

As the city grows, finding the land to build bigger sanitation services is unlikely and would cost millions, he said. “We’re not looking at privatizing to salvage a few pennies. We’re evaluating options because there is no space to expand.”

The city’s considering plans to outsource sanitation services was made public in June. Customers didn’t have to approve asking for outside proposals, expected to come in by the end of April. But what staff decides would go before City Council in May or June, and that’s when the public can comment, he said.