By STEVE OSTERMANN
Ozaukee Press staff
Posted 7-23-08
Village of Grafton residents will begin using carts for curbside collection of trash and recyclables next year.
The Village Board on Monday agreed to hire Veolia Environmental Services for weekly pickup under a five-year contract that changes the current provider and collection system.
The contract, which begins Jan. 1, is expected to cost $537,000 the first year — or $207,000 more than the current service provided by Waste Management, which allows residents to place trash in garbage bags or cans and use bins for recycling.
Veolia’s bid was $95,000 lower than Waste Management’s bid for cart service.
The trustees’ 5-1 vote followed a unanimous recommendation from the Public Works Board. But the decision also came after last-minute protests from Trustee Jim Grant, who cast the dissenting vote, and two residents who said the 96-gallon carts would create hardships for senior citizens, disabled people and owners required to store and push the containers to the curb each week.
Under the new system, Veolia will supply residents with two 96-gallon carts, one for garbage and another for recyclables that will be collected biweekly. A truck using a mechanical arm will pick up and empty the carts.
Unlike the current system, Veolia will not pick up items that don’t fit in carts unless residents arrange for special collection. Dennis Fechter, Veolia service representative, said his company will charge $55 to collect up to four yards of material.
Fechter said the company will provide 65-gallon carts to residents who request smaller containers and help older and disabled residents who ask to have employees move the carts to the curb.
Fechter said trash will not have to be bagged before it is placed in carts, and glass, cans, newspaper and other recyclables will not have to be separated or cleaned before being discarded.
Grant said he opposed asking residents to pay more for curbside collection without receiving at least the same level of service.
“On our last village survey, 90% of the residents said they like the current service they receive from the Public Works Department,” Grant said.
“This is a decrease in service. That’s the point I’m trying to make.”
Grant also said the new carts will be too large for most single-car garages, forcing residents to store the containers outside.
Joe and Jean Stickney, 921 Third Ave., told trustees they and other senior citizens will have trouble moving the carts to the curb, especially in snowy conditions.
“Money should not be the major criteria in this decision,” Mrs. Stickney told the board.
Public Works Director Dave Murphy said the rising cost of diesel fuel and employee health-care costs have prompted sanitation companies to pass the expense on to municipalities. The collection cost could increase by as much as 3% annually based on adjustments for fuel charges, he said.
In the bidding process, Waste Management offered to continue the current collection system for $588,400, compared to Veolia’s bid of $655,600. However, maintaining the current system with Waste Management would cost $258,400 more the first year of the contract, an increase of $51,000 over Veolia’s cart option, Murphy said.
“It’s a $200,000 bite that comes out our budget, that we will have to provide for,” Village President Jim Brunnquell said. “That $50,000 difference is the equivalent of a staff person. It makes a big difference.”
Grafton joined the Village of Saukville and City of Port Washington in securing bids for service. Bids from Waste Management and Veolia differed significantly based on collection options.
Trustee Ron LaPean, chairman of the Public Works Board, said he and other village officials weighed their options carefully before making a recommendation.
“I’m convinced there are going to be some little problems, and we’ll work them out,” LaPean said. “What we’re seeing here is a resistance to change on the part of some people.”
