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Politics & Government

Point Boro Council Votes For New Trash and Recycling Contracts

Contracts with Suburban, Meadowbrook will save $566,000 in 2012 and $2.6 million over five years

In a move that is expected to save Point Pleasant roughly $566,000 next year alone, the Borough Council voted Tuesday night to approve trash and recycling pick-up contracts with the borough's current contractors, Suburban Disposal and Meadowbrook.

The bids the council accepted were Suburban's bid for collection using rear-compacting trucks, which are used now, and weekly summer collection, costing $490,000 in the first year and increasing to $498,000 in fifth year, a total of $2,466,000 over the term of the contract.

Meadowbrook will receive the recycling contract for its bid of $201,000 the first year, increasing to $217,000 in the fifth year, for a total of $1,045,000 for the five years.

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The total sanitation cost for 2011 under the current contracts is $1,131,000, Business Administrator David Maffei said.

For 2012, the two contracts total $691,000, a savings of $440,000. Additionally, the borough will save $126,000 in reimbursements to the condominium associations that will no longer be necessary.

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The move was not without some dissent, however, both on the council and from the public, as concerns were raised over a provision in the trash contract reducing pick-up to once a week year-round.

Trash has been picked up twice a week during the summer for a number of years.

Councilman Mitch Remig spoke out in favor of retaining the second weekly collection, saying that he felt it was worth the $34,000 to retain the services for residents. He noted that figure breaks down to roughly $8 per household.

Remig was the lone dissenting vote on the contracts at the meeting

Councilman Christopher Leitner, who made the motion to approve the low bids from Suburban and Meadowbrook, said the suggestion to cut back to one collection per week in the summer came from a number of people.

Councilman John McHugh Jr. echoed that comment, saying he had heard from a number of residents who supported eliminating the second pick-up as a means of reducing costs.

"When we were facing budget crunches, the majority of those I spoke to felt they would be willing to give up the second day to solve our financial crisis," McHugh said, noting the budget was so tight the council was looking at ways to save amounts as small as $1,000. In that light, he said, $34,000 is a lot of money.

Remig argued that additional cost savings that arise from no longer having to reimburse the borough's condominium associations for dumpster rentals and trash pick-up -- those services are included in the Suburban contract, council members said -- were sufficient to cover the costs associated with the second collection.

"The question I would ask is do we have the authority to spend that money?" Mayor William Schroeder said.

Laura Breeden of Spruce Street supported the move to cut back to once per week.

"I'd prefer twice-a-week pick-up, but to save that $34,000 is a big deal," she said.

One resident questioned whether cutting back to once a week presented a health risk, as garbage containing chicken and other food waste attracts animals including feral cats, raccoons and even rats, with the potential for exposure to rabies with some animals.

Dan Miley, of Partridge Run, said, "You're talking what, $1.50 per person (for the second collection) to protect the health of residents during the heat?"

Councilman Christopher Goss said saving the money is important because the borough is facing a number of capital improvement projects in the next few years and will need every penny possible to pay for them.

"Some of these have been put off for too long already," Goss said.

Tom Grahowski, of Fairview Drive, supported cutting the second day in favor of protecting positions in the police department.

"The police force is down what, six people? Save the $34,000," Grahowski said. Council members noted eight positions have been cut from the police force through attrition, including retirements. There have been no layoffs.

Chris Constantino, of Maple Street, who chairs the borough's Environmental Commission, said the move to once-a-week collection may prompt residents to recycle more and even to consider composting, which both Leitner and McHugh said they have found to be very effective.

"We bemoan that we throw away too much stuff as a society," McHugh said. "If this causes people to stop and think about it, that's a good thing."

Al Faraldi, of Bay Isle Drive, said he was less concerned with how many times a week the trash gets picked up -- "I throw mine in the lagoon and it goes out at high tide," he said, jokingly -- and more concerned with what will happen to the savings.

"I hear money is going to be spent here, it's going to be spent there," he said. "I'd like to see it go back into taxpayers' pockets."

Originally, the borough had considered using its own public works crews to collect trash and recycling, but after further analysis, that appeared to not be cost-effective.

 

 

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