City rejects waste, recycling bids again

Lambertville says the second round came back too high.

By: Linda Seida
   LAMBERTVILLE — A second round of bids has come back too high, prompting the city to scrap the idea of contracting with an outside firm to take over trash hauling and institute a plastics recycling program.
   Despite the setback, the city is not giving up on the idea of recycling plastics.
   The city began investigating recycling options at the request of residents.
   The mayor directed Public Works Director Paul Cronce to investigate grant opportunities to fund the necessary equipment. Mr. Cronce said he also is looking into details of purchasing a truck that runs on alternative fuel.
   The cost was not discussed during the City Council meeting Monday.
   "We’re working on determining the cost," said Chuck Kauffman, a member of the ad hoc committee in charge of investigating the proposal.
   Mr. Kaufmann said the committee hopes to have figures this summer.
   The city has not rejected the idea of adding plastics to its recycling program.
   "The city rejecting the bids has no impact on the city going forward with plastics recycling," Mayor Del Vecchio said. "It just impacts how it’s going to get done, whether we do it or someone else does it."
   The recycling committee this summer will be nailing down exactly which materials a city program will be able to accommodate.
   Lambertville’s bids were more expensive than Clinton and Flemington pay for similar programs, according to officials.
   "The numbers we got back were not in line with the numbers they had," Mayor Del Vecchio said. "I’m just surprised. I thought the market would be a little more aggressive."
   Mr. Cronce speculated fuel costs could have been a contributing factor. The bids were divided into five areas: solid waste hauling as currently performed by the city’s Public Works Department, solid waste removal on a different schedule, recyclables with the material owned by the contractor, recyclables with the material owned by the city and recycling containers. The bids were divided into yearly increments for five years.
   It is possible to earn about $20 per ton for plastics, according to an earlier report from the committee.
   In addition to bringing in revenue, an expanded recycling program also would save money, the report said, cutting about $30,000 annually by, among other things, reducing the amount of solid waste sent to landfills. It is estimated the reduction could total about 250 tons a year.
   Six contractors picked up bid specifications, but only two submitted bids, Waste Management and Raritan Valley Disposal Company, according to Clerk Lori Buckelew. Neither firm bid on all options.
   Waste Management submitted a bid for solid waste only that averaged $433,968 a year for five years while Raritan Valley submitted no bid in this category.
   Mayor Del Vecchio said Waste Management’s bid for solid waste only is higher than what the city pays now for its own Public Works Department to remove both trash and recyclables even when factoring in employee pensions and health benefits and vehicle maintenance.
   Lambertville’s current solid waste and recycling program costs between $300,000 and $350,000 per year, he said.
   "The fact is, the private sector chose not to be competitive with us," Mayor Del Vecchio said.
   Neither Mayor Del Vecchio nor Mr. Cronce had figures available for Clinton’s or Flemington’s programs.
   However, Mr. Cronce explained Tuesday, "We’re doing more in town than what other municipalities are doing. That’s why the numbers are higher."
   Mayor Del Vecchio added, "This was not a normal bid, but I think this was a very good exercise. It’s always good to test the market."
   Raritan Valley and Waste Management both submitted bids for a second solid waste option to run on a schedule that would be different than the city’s. Raritan Valley’s bid averaged $473,481 a year for five years. Waste Management’s averaged $397,848.
   For the recycling bid, where the contractor owns the materials, Raritan Valley’s bid averaged $110,463 a year for five years. Waste Management’s averaged $145,341 a year for five years.
   For a second recycling option, with the city retaining ownership of the materials, Raritan Valley’s bid averaged $110,463 a year for five years. Waste Management did not submit a bid in this category.
   Waste Management did not submit a bid for the cost supplying recycling containers. Raritan Valley’s bid averaged $120,935 a year for five years.
   The first round of bids in April were rejected because contractors had questions, submitted late in the process, concerning the language of the specifications.
   Currently the city recycles clear and colored glass bottles and aluminum and metal cans. The city also accepts bundled and tied newspapers, magazines and office papers.