The Goleta City Council approved a contract with MarBorg Industries on Tuesday after months of competition with rival corporation Allied Waste Services to secure the right to conduct citywide trash collection.

Although MarBorg and Allied Waste currently share turf in Goleta, the council unanimously voted to grant the company an exclusive deal for Goleta, beginning July 1. The deal would be honored until 2019. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors also approved a contract with MarBorg Industries for the upper Goleta area earlier this week, giving the local waste management company a county monopoly.

According to Goleta Mayor Margaret Connell, the contract will reduce family service rates by 20 to 22 percent and commercial rates by five percent.

“In fact we ended up with a very good deal,” Connell said. “It is going to reduce costs and increase services.”

The contract requires MarBorg to provide complimentary services valued at $500,000 annually including free trash and recycling pickup at the city’s parks, buildings, open spaces and public schools. In addition to local trash collection, the company will supply free amenities at the Lemon Festival, the Fiesta Ranchera, the Stow House’s Fourth of July and the Fireworks Festival at Girsh Park. Connell said the council voted in favor of MarBorg because of the company’s close ties to the community.

“MarBorg is a good, strong company who has a good track record,” Connell said. “They have done a lot in the community and have had a lot of recycling efforts.”

MarBorg President Mario Borgatello Jr. said the organization is pleased with the city and county contracts.

“We are certainly very happy with the city and county’s decision,” Borgatello said. “It is very gratifying that they noticed all our hard work in the community.”

With MarBorg securing both contracts, Allied Waste — once the primary trash collector in the county — will only provide services for a portion of the city of Santa Barbara until their contract ends in 2013.

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