On October 28th, four bid packets were opened in public, at Borough Hall. Two hauling companies provided notice in their packets that they were not making a bid. One of them was Waste Management, our current trash hauler that bought out Advanced Disposal, the company we originally contracted with.
Two companies submitted bids for the West Easton waste hauling contract of 5 years, with a 2-year extension.
LMR Disposal bid $1,021,276.00 with a 2-year extension of $500,000.00.
J.P. Mascaro and Sons bid $1,102,766.40 with a 2-year extension of $510,722.88.
The math is fairly simple, based on 508 collection addresses in West Easton, which is what each company based their figures on.
The good news is that the quarterly refuse portion of the bill residents receive will not double (100%), as some communities have experienced.
The bad news is the refuse portion of the quarterly bill will see a significant increase. As much as 80% is possible.
Under the old contract, homeowners paid $60 per quarter for refuse ($240/yr.)
If Council awards the contract to LMR Disposal, homeowners will pay $100.52 per quarter ($402.08/yr).
If J.P. Mascaro and Sons is awarded the contract, homeowners will pay $108.54 per quarter ($434.16/yr).
Both bids are currently being reviewed to ensure there are no materially defective inclusions that would require a rejection.
While an increase for the cost of service is always a hard pill to swallow, there is some silver lining.
As in the past, recyclables will be collected once each 2nd week at curbside. One bulk item is allowed once each month (not to exceed 150 pounds), with no extra charge incurred. The amount of containers and/or bags allowed from each household will remain the same.
If you’re wondering how it could be worse than an increase in cost, you need to read Freemansburg’s mailer. After two attempts at advertising they finally got two bidders. They went with the lowest bidder and only secured a 3-year contract. It will be far more expensive for their residents, due to the following provisions:
- Trash collection is $450/yr.
- Must use a provided 96 gal. bin.
- A bulk item costs $30/per item (tagged)
- White/metal goods cost $25/per item (tagged)
- Excess trash costs $3.50/per bag (tagged)
- No curbside recycling pickup. Recycling items are available for drop-off at their community park during 4 hours, on only one Saturday each month.
- Tags sold at Freemansburg Borough Hall (No Tag – No pickup)
West Easton Council will likely decide on the winning bidder at the November 14th meeting.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
