Suffolk residents can expect new recycling containers to begin arriving at their homes in August.

The new curbside recycling program is part of an overhaul to the city’s refuse collection system that includes an added fee and a number of residents being converted to pickup with an automated truck.

But the recycling program nearly hit a snag Wednesday night when some City Council members found out that no request for proposals to conduct the recycling program was issued. Rather, the city simply renegotiated its existing five-year contract with TFC Recycling, which has been providing a subscription-based service for the past year to residents who pay $12 a month.

At least two council members, Michael Duman and Leroy Bennett, admitted they didn’t know an RFP had not been issued.

“I was under the impression we were going to put an RFP out for it,” Bennett said.

Duman added that he would like to see one issued, even at this late date.

But city administrators defended the decision, saying TFC had an existing contract with the option to provide a citywide service eventually.

“We did make sure we explored every option,” City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn said. “It was not automatic that they were going to provide this service.”

In addition, when the original RFP for the subscription-based service was issued, “TFC was really the only company that demonstrated an ability and a willingness” to provide the service on the city’s terms, Deputy City Manager Patrick Roberts said.

In fact, negotiations with TFC brought about a lower rate than the city previously estimated. As a result, the original $18.50 monthly fee per household will go down to $17.50 if City Council approves it next month.

The new recycling collection is anticipated to begin in September.

Also in September, the city anticipates converting about 10,000 households from conventional collection to automated collection.

The conventional rear-loader trucks are more expensive and dangerous to operate, Public Works director Eric Nielsen told City Council members. Three workers operating a conventional truck can pick up about 500 cans a day, but just one worker in an automated truck can pick up 800 cans.

One council member in particular is pleased about the automated collection expansion — Curtis Milteer.

He has lived in a non-automated zone for decades and could always be relied upon to bring up the issue whenever trash collection was discussed.

On Wednesday, city staff even presented him with a new automated trashcan, complete with a bow.

Residents will first see the new fee on their property tax bill due Dec. 5.