Lake Orion Will See Different Garbage Trucks Next Month

New trucks will be hauling trash and compost in November, but residents shouldn't feel much when Lake Orion makes the switch.

Richfield Equities has filed for bankruptcy, and its Oakland County accounts are expected to be purchased by Rizzo Environmental Services, a Sterling Heights-based company.

Richfield has hauled Lake Orion's trash, compost and recycling since 2008. 

The anticipated sale of Richfield to Rizzo is based on an offer accepted Oct. 15, according to Dan Garman of Crossroads Consulting, Inc. Garman is a liaison between municipalities and waste haulers.

Richfield filed a voluntary petition for Chap. 11 at Michigan Eastern Bankruptcy Court on Sept. 18. The agreement will be reviewed by Federal Bankruptcy Court Nov. 6.

Garman said the hope is to have Rizzo take over the contracts Nov. 9, which is when residents can expect to see different trucks and names on their bills. Rizzo's red trucks can currently be seen in 14 municipalities in the tri-county area.

At Monday's West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting, Garman asked officials to sign off an agreement for the township to transfer its contract per attorney approval. Development services director Marshall Labadie said that Rizzo was nearly chosen for the township's contract three years ago.

"They have a good reputation in the industry and have been for quite some time," Labadie said. "They probably would've been selected if they were the low bidder at that point in time. Unfortunately, their bids were not as attractive as Richfield's."

Garman said that residents can expect to see the same services provided as the same contract will be transferred and no delay in service.

Representatives from Rizzo could not be reached for comment.