ALLENTOWN – The Allentown Borough Council has authorized the Roberts Engineering Group to prepare specifications, advertise bids and provide additional services requested regarding solid waste and recyclable materials collection services.
The cost of the firm’s services for the work may not exceed $12,000, according to a resolution that was passed at the April 9 meeting by council President Thomas Fritts, Councilman Rob Schmitt, Councilman Michael Drennan, Councilman Robert Strovinsky and Councilman John A. Elder III. Councilwoman Angela Anthony was absent.
Council members said the engineering firm will prepare specifications for the bid which will allow Allentown the option to enter into contracts for five years.
The borough engineer, which is the Roberts Engineering Group, “estimates the work required to prepare the update of the specifications for solid waste and recyclable material collection services, which will include the preparation of the specifications, bidding and
a recommendation of an award and execution of contracts with recycling as single-stream for weekly and bi-weekly pick-up, in the amount not to exceed $6,500.”
Allentown officials have asked the borough engineer to also prepare separate contracts for recycling disposal and collection, prepare specifications for dual stream recycling and assist in pursuing shared services; the borough engineer estimates the work required to perform the additional services can be completed in an amount not to exceed $5,500.
During a brief discussion that preceded the passage of the resolution, Mayor Greg Westfall said all of the borough’s solid waste must be disposed of at the Monmouth County Reclamation Center in Tinton Falls.
However, he said officials have been informed recyclable materials “may cross county lines and the Environmental Commission is looking to see what we can do in terms of recyclables with some of our neighboring communities.”
Westfall said Allentown’s representatives are considering moving from single-stream recycling (i.e., all recyclable materials placed in one container), to dual stream recycling (i.e., separating recyclable materials, for example, keeping paper and cardboard items separate from plastic and glass containers).