Trustees continue process of obtaining single trash hauler
By CARLA SMITH
ThisWeek Staff Writer
Trustees voted 2-1 at
its April 27 board meeting to advertise for bids for the disposal of solid
waste, recyclables and yard waste. Trustee Doug Stormont
voted against the measure with trustees Joe Wharton and Teresa Keller voting in
favor.
Wharton said the vote
cast by the trustees allows the township to decide where it will dump the solid
waste, recyclables and yard waste. It also establishes prices for collection,
he said.
"This isn't a
question of a contract negotiation," Wharton said. "We are setting
the terms. The haulers have the ability to bid. I want the door open to all
available haulers."
The township will
adhere to a schedule with the parameters of the contract and facility bids due
on May 25. Contractors will have a pre-bid meeting on June 8 with bids to be
opened on July 6.
Kim Baker, of Eastman
& Smith, Ltd., who will serve as the liaison between haulers and the
township, gave an overview of what the townships solid waste contract will
include. The contract is expected to be presented to trustees at a May 25 board
meeting.
The contract will
provide a weekly unlimited collection of solid waste including bulky items,
recyclable materials and yard waste, Baker said. The term of the contract will
reflect three-, four- and five-year options.
"They will be
able to build in (price) increases but you will know what is in your
contract," Baker said.
Baker said the
contract will also require that all materials placed at the curb be picked up
on the same day. Materials collected must be delivered to designated facilities
and no separated recyclable materials or yard waste can be taken to land fills.
Residents can expect
the contractor to bill them quarterly and there will be a 10 percent discount
to all senior citizens, she said. For those who are disabled, a carryout
service, where trash cans are left next to the home and not by the curb, will
be offered at no additional charge.
Residents will be able
to use their own trash cans or have the option to rent a can from the hauler,
she said. The contractor will provide one 18 gallon bin to each residence for
recyclables and yard waste will be picked up only if discarded in approved yard
waste bags or separate containers. Collection times will be from
Baker said the
contract is exclusive. No other hauler will be able to serve residents once an
exclusive contract is awarded. A residence may get an exemption to the service
if the homeowner can prove the trash is being disposed of properly.
The township will
approve all routes, Baker said, and routes would not change without trustees'
approval.
Baker, who has helped
other townships in the area establish a contract for a single trash hauler,
said there are many benefits to an exclusive contract. Haulers can be fined for
not following the contract, she said.
"We get very few
complaints once the contract is put in place," she said. "They comply
because they don't want to lose the entire township."