"The pilot is the next step in a series of actions to prepare for an overhaul of our current system," said Mayor Jean Stothert. "I support a modern collection system, using covered, wheeled carts and CNG fueled trucks equipped with automated arms. We asked Waste Management to develop this pilot to give us firsthand feedback from the citizens selected to participate."

In June, Stothert invited public opinion about current and future service and received approximately 500 responses through the mayor's hotline.

Stothert also recommended and the Omaha City Council approved a study by SCS Engineers to analyze yard waste collection and the OmaGro program. This month, the contract with SCS was expanded to include surveys to identify the services citizens prefer.