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Single-hauler trash pact gets another review
(by Joan Demirjian - September 22, 2010)
Single-hauler trash pact gets another review
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
A proposed contract between Russell and Waste Management Inc. for trash-hauling service for township residents is being reviewed again by the Geauga County Prosecutor's Office.
After discussing the contract for several weeks, Township Trustees were to review the contract again Wednesday.
Trustees James Mueller and James Dickinson support moving forward with a contract with Waste Management for exclusive trash pickup in the township. Trustee Kristina Port has opposed such a contract.
Some of the key objectives of having a single trash hauler in the township are safety, to encourage recycling with curb-side service and to cut down on the number of heavy trucks on the township roads, trustees said. Russell has 56 miles of township roads.
At the Township Trustees Sept. 15 meeting, residents voiced varying opinions on the matter.
Grange Alves, of Fairmount Road, supports the move to one hauler in the township. He said he sees it as a safety issue, as trucks from different rubbish-hauling companies are going "willy nilly" on the roadways.
"It's not safe," he said with too many of the big trucks, especially with bad weather and poor visibility. "People have gotten killed with these trucks," Mr. Alves said.
Russell Police Chief Tim Carroll said there was a serious accident on Fairmount Road three years ago involving one of the trucks.
Resident Ben Kotowski thanked the trustees for addressing the issue, "because it's about time." It will save residents money, and everyone has been hit by the economy, he said. "This is the time that we need savings." His family will be better off for it, he said.
Rose Krizan told trustees she has had Universal Disposal for 46 years and has not had a problem. She pays $60 every three months, she said. "I don't think it's a lot. They take everything."
With the single-hauler contract, Universal Disposal and other trash haulers could no longer serve Russell residents.
Pat McCarthy said he uses Universal Disposal, "and they've been great." He questioned how long the contract is for and what happens if someone doesn't like it.
Mr. Mueller said, "We can end the contract with 60 days notice." The contract is for three years.
Originally, the township had stipulated a one-year contract, but bidders did not want to bid on a year because of the costs involved for new bins.
The contract includes back-door service at a slightly higher cost for those who want it, Mr. Mueller said.
While curb-side recycling will be available through the new service, the township recycling center at the old fire station will remain open, he said. "We want to see how much curb-side recycling will be done."
Mr. Mueller said every bid the township received in the process was less than anyone pays currently for service from any waste hauler. The cost through Waste Management Inc. is $47 per quarter and includes a 96-gallon container and a curb-side recycling bin.
Through aggregation, the township is able to get better pricing for residents than they can get individually with a company, Mr. Mueller said. They can realize a 35 percent to 40 percent savings over their current rates, he said. Once the contract is in place, all other haulers are excluded, Mr. Mueller said.
Ms. Port questioned why, early on in the process, waste haulers were not given the opportunity to present pre-bid proposals in a public meeting so residents could have heard them.
There was a special meeting in 2009 to hear residents' concerns, but since then there has not been a meeting, she said.
Ms. Port said she is concerned that, if the single-waste hauler contract goes through in Russell, it could prompt other communities to do the same. The result could be job losses for those who work for waste-hauling companies, she said.
And if waste haulers go out of business, she questioned what competition there will be for single haulers, except for the big companies.
She also said she is concerned about the recycling aspect. "If people don't take their recyclables to the curb side, recycling could go by the wayside," she said.
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