Worthington Weighs Curbside Food Waste Contract Ahead of 2027 Budget Review
Ordinance No. 30-2026 would establish a five-year contract with The Compost Exchange at $3.28 per household monthly, funded through municipal operating revenues.
Worthington City Council is scheduled to take up tabled legislation on Oct. 19 to establish the city's first universal curbside food waste collection service table-vote. The pending measure, Ordinance No. 30-2026, would authorize a five-year contract with TCE Columbus, LLC, doing business as The Compost Exchange, running from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2031 contract-term.
Previously, "Worthington Approves Five-Year Waste Contract With Local Waste Services" detailed Council's Sept. 21 approval of Ordinance No. 29-2026, awarding a five-year residential solid waste, recycling, and yard waste contract to Local Waste Services, Ltd. Under Worthington's municipal waste model, the city covers collection costs for roughly 5,250 households directly through municipal tax revenues rather than direct resident billing, an arrangement the food waste proposal is designed to mirror.
Under the proposed universal collection plan, The Compost Exchange submitted the lowest responsive bid of $3.28 per household per month lowest-bid. John Moorehead, Worthington's director of service and engineering, announced in a staff memorandum that the universal service would cost $207,000 annually starting in 2027, paid through the municipal operating budget without direct resident billing annual-cost. The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) offered up to $100,000 in implementation assistance to support the rollout swaco-aid. City staff noted that once the $100,000 in assistance is applied, either in a single year or across multiple years, Worthington will assume full financial responsibility for the service city-expense.
Council initially directed staff on July 20 to seek bids for two food waste collection models bid-direction. In addition to universal collection, the city evaluated Option 2, a voluntary subscription model where participating households would contract and pay haulers directly subscription-model. Both The Compost Exchange and Local Waste Services submitted the lowest responsive Option 2 bids at $15.00 per household per month option2-rates. Moorehead recommended rejecting Option 2, stating it offered limited community benefit because Worthington residents already have access to private curbside composting subscriptions for less than $15.00 monthly staff-rejection.
Council introduced Ordinance No. 30-2026 on Sept. 8 and held a public hearing on Sept. 21 intro-date. Moorehead recommended tabling the ordinance so that details of the city's proposed 2027 Operating Budget could be reviewed before council voted budget-review. Council voted unanimously on Sept. 21 to table the contract until the Oct. 19 meeting table-action, leaving the legislation tabled during its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 oct5-session.
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City Council Post-Meeting Reports · September 21, 2026 · other
Supporting evidence (3)
Worthington City Council is scheduled to take up tabled legislation on Oct. 19 to establish the city's first universal curbside food waste collection service table-vote.
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Council members voted unanimously to approve a motion to table Ordinance No. 30-2026 until the October 19,2026 meeting.
The pending measure, Ordinance No. 30-2026, would authorize a five-year contract with TCE Columbus, LLC, doing business as The Compost Exchange, running from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2031 contract-term.
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This Ordinance authorizes the City Manager to enter into contract for the collection of food waste in the City of Worthington from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2031.
Council voted unanimously on Sept. 21 to table the contract until the Oct. 19 meeting table-action, leaving the legislation tabled during its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 oct5-session.
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Council members voted unanimously to approve a motion to table Ordinance No. 30-2026 until the October 19,2026 meeting.
City Council Agendas · September 21, 2026 · agenda
Supporting evidence (9)
Under the proposed universal collection plan, The Compost Exchange submitted the lowest responsive bid of $3.28 per household per month lowest-bid.
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TCE Columbus, LLC (The Compost Exchange) provided the lowest cost, responsive bid for Option #1 with a monthly per household rate of $3.28.
John Moorehead, Worthington's director of service and engineering, announced in a staff memorandum that the universal service would cost $207,000 annually starting in 2027, paid through the municipal operating budget without direct resident billing annual-cost.
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If approved, the annual cost of Option 1 for this service would be $207,000, beginning in 2027.
The Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) offered up to $100,000 in implementation assistance to support the rollout swaco-aid.
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SWACO would offer direct financial support in an amount not to exceed $100,000 in order to facilitate implementation of that service.
City staff noted that once the $100,000 in assistance is applied, either in a single year or across multiple years, Worthington will assume full financial responsibility for the service city-expense.
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Once the $100,000 is applied, either in one year or spread across multiple years, the full cost of the service would be the responsibility of the City.
Council initially directed staff on July 20 to seek bids for two food waste collection models bid-direction.
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On July 20, 2026, City Council directed staff to advertise for bid the collection of curbside food waste as an optional service alongside the City’s current collection of solid waste, yard waste, and recycling.
In addition to universal collection, the city evaluated Option 2, a voluntary subscription model where participating households would contract and pay haulers directly subscription-model.
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Under this option, residential households who elect to take part in curbside food waste collection would subscribe directly with the chosen hauler.
Both The Compost Exchange and Local Waste Services submitted the lowest responsive Option 2 bids at $15.00 per household per month option2-rates.
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The Compost Exchange and Local Waste Services both provided the lowest cost, responsive bid for Option #2 with a monthly per household rate of $15.00.
Moorehead recommended rejecting Option 2, stating it offered limited community benefit because Worthington residents already have access to private curbside composting subscriptions for less than $15.00 monthly staff-rejection.
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Some subscribers pay less than $15.00 per month for those services, making a city awarded option more expensive than what is already available.
Moorehead recommended tabling the ordinance so that details of the city's proposed 2027 Operating Budget could be reviewed before council voted budget-review.
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Staff is recommending this ordinance be tabled for consideration at a public hearing in October.
City Council Post-Meeting Reports · September 8, 2026 · other
Supporting evidence (1)
Council introduced Ordinance No. 30-2026 on Sept. 8 and held a public hearing on Sept. 21 intro-date.
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Council members introduced Ordinance No. 30-2026 for a public hearing on September 21, 2026.
City Council Agendas · October 5, 2026 · agenda
Supporting evidence (1)
Council voted unanimously on Sept. 21 to table the contract until the Oct. 19 meeting table-action, leaving the legislation tabled during its regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 oct5-session.
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Monday, October 5, 2026 at 7:00 pm 6550 N. High Street, Worthington, Ohio 43085