Despite objections raised by the other bidder, the City Council voted to approve one-year contracts for trash and recycling pickups to Suburban Disposal at the Aug. 25 meeting, even though three-year contracts might have saved the city money.
Business Administrator Steve Gallo said the city may be revamping its trash removal program and that the year contract will give the city time to review everything before making a final decision.
Several representatives of Joseph Smentkowski Inc. spoke at the meeting to say that a three-year contract would be more economical.
The two companies clashed last year over a similar issue. Smentkowski sued the city because of errors in the bid specifications, won the contract, and was promptly dumped when Suburban found another flaw, and regained the contract for one-year.
‘We’re excited about this grant, because it provides the Fire Department the means for purchasing badly needed safety and rescue equipment.’ – Greg Rogers
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Suburban will provide trash pick up for the next year for $1,027,000 and recycling for $567,000.
While the City Council last year opted for a one-year contract in order to review the service, Gallo said the council and city administration has since changed, and that officials want to develop a plan of action under the new administration.
“This is a new council that will need time to get up to speed,” Gallo said. “By approving a one-year contract, we will have time to develop a comprehensive plan.”
Avenue E work to start
Gallo updated the city on sewer repair work to a section of Avenue E near 45th Street, which has been on hold for almost a year.
The company that was scheduled to provide a critical piece for the repair moved to the Middle East, Gallo said, requiring the city to seek new options. The sewer repair will make use of a giant sock that will fit inside the decaying 100-year-old brick sewer line and allow the city to make the repair without the extensive and costly method of digging up several blocks of city streets.
To avoid digging up a gigantic area around the pipe – which is about 20-feet below the surface of the roadway – the plan calls for installing the sock-like bag into a small slice in the pipe, then filling around the bag with liquid cement that will develop into a pipe liner strong enough to keep the pipe from decaying further.
Homeland security funds to pay for fire safety equipment
The City Council voted to approve the use of a $278,863 Assistance to Firefighters Grant for the purchase of needed safety equipment.
Fire Chief Greg Rogers said the grant is supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.
“We’re excited about this grant, because it provides the Fire Department the means for purchasing badly needed safety and rescue equipment,” Rogers said. “The safety of our firefighters and the protection of the public are our main priorities, and this grant helps fulfill that obligation in a cost effective way.”
The Water Rescue portion of the grant will give the Fire Department the necessary tools for ice and coldwater rescues, and will serve as the perfect compliment to the recently awarded rescue boat grant, Rogers said.
“In addition to the new equipment, line firefighters will receive water rescue training, and our technical rescue crews will be further trained to the technician level,” he said.
The Personal Bailout System portion of the grant will ensure that all members of the department are equipped with a harness and bailout system that will provide them with the means of escaping untenable environments.
“This system gives all firefighters the capability of bailing out a window and lowering themselves by rope in extreme emergencies, such as entrapment by fire,” Rogers said.
This grant also provides for each fire station to be equipped with a Vehicle Exhaust Recovery System that will protect the firefighters from the potential dangers associated with truck exhaust emissions.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.