Expect a few bumps in the road for Coquitlam's new garbage and recycling pick-up, the city's mayor warned this week.

"We're working hard on the transition and it will go smoothly — but not perfectly," Richard Stewart told The Tri-City News.

Coquitlam-based Smithrite Disposal Ltd. takes over the municipal collection contract on July 1 after a much-criticized run by International Paper Industries (last month, respondents to an Ipsos-Reid poll gave the city's garbage pick-up poor scores).

"Coquitlam residents have suffered for five years and that's going to end," Stewart said. "We're going to have a good grasp of the administration of this contract."

The $5.1-million agreement runs for three years, until June 30, 2012, with the option to extend until 2015.

And, because of higher recycling costs, residents will be paying much more for the service: next year, garbage collection will rise from $160 to $240 and, in 2010, it will jump again to $330 per household.

Mark Zaborniak, Coquitlam’s manager of design and construction, said pick-up days and times will be the same under the Smithrite venture. He said if residents have a problem with the collection, they're asked to call Smithrite directly at 604-529-4030 — and not city hall.

Last fall, in what many felt was a pre-election stunt, former Coun. Neal Nicholson suggested the city create an in-house service. But, in early November, council narrowly voted against the motion.

The next month, city staff told council how much a city-run garbage and recycling service would cost: $7.7-million a year, of which $2.5 million would be for operating costs. As a result, the annual costs per household for internal service would cost about $430 for manual pick-up and $397 for automated pick-up, the report stated.

— with files from Sarah Payne

jwarren@tricitynews.com