Cortez to Draft Curbside Trash and Recycling Contract with Dolores

Facing the loss of Four Corners Recycling Initiative’s drop‑off bins on 12th Street after December, the Dolores Town Board voted Monday to advance a draft agreement with Cortez that so far has 68 households and some businesses signed up and would offer weekly pickup and separated recycling for roughly $31 per month. Town Manager Leigh Reeves said the town dropped an initial target of more than 100 signups and emphasized residents are free to choose other haulers.

Cortez’s City Council in mid-February directed staff to prepare an agreement allowing the City of Cortez to provide curbside trash and recycling services to the Town of Dolores; a completed contract will be presented to both governments for approval in early 2026. Colby Earley, Cortez’s refuse and recycling superintendent, told reporters the Cortez department will reach out to Dolores households after the contract is approved and that routes and a pickup schedule have already been developed for distribution when services start.

Under the proposed Cortez “satellite service,” residents would receive weekly trash pickup, separated recycling collection, bulk trash removal and specialty item disposal. The Journal lists accepted recycling materials precisely as mixed cardboard, plastics No. 1 and No. 2, aluminum, office paper mix, and tin/steel or ferrous metals; the plan explicitly states glass would not be accepted. Recyclables must be sorted into paper bags by category and cleaned before collection; residents can find the plastic resin identification number on the bottom of items.

Price details remain provisional: The Journal reported the service would cost around $31 per household each month and noted the Dolores fee is expected to be $2 higher than Cortez’s standard residential rate. Cortez’s online survey lists the proposed figure as $31.15/month starting in 2026, but officials say the amount is not final until Cortez adopts its 2026 fee schedule. Cortez’s survey asked residents directly, “Would you be interested in subscribing to a refuse and recycling service package in Dolores that includes curbside trash pickup, free recycling, bulk trash removal, and specialty item disposal for $31.15/month starting in 2026?”

Residents who want the Cortez service are instructed to enroll by calling Cortez Utility Billing at 970-564-4012 and to request a trash bin and a recycling container; officials also advise customers to cancel their current trash service after Cortez services begin. For operational questions, Cortez Refuse & Recycling is listed at 110 W. Progress Circle with phone 970-565-7320. Cortez city administration can be reached at 123 Roger Smith Avenue, phone 970-565-3402, office hours Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Leigh Reeves framed the choice this way: “No one’s obligated. If you don’t want curbside recycling, you can still go with Countryside, Bruin Waste Management, whoever you want, but you’re not going to necessarily get recycling from them.” Key follow-ups for residents and officials include the exact service start date, the formal adoption date for Cortez’s 2026 fee schedule, and full contract terms covering bulk and specialty item limits, commercial rates, and length of agreement.