MAHONING COUNTY Officials vote on pact for electronic recycling drive

The collection will include mostly office-related items.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County's first recycling drive for electronic office items will be Oct. 18 at the Canfield Fairgrounds.
County commissioners voted Thursday to contract with Niles Iron & amp; Metal to collect the items and dispose of them. Residents can drop off items to be recycled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day, said Timothy Berlekamp, executive director of the recycling division.
Acceptable items will include computers and monitors, televisions, small copiers and printers and similar items. Large items such as microwave ovens and other appliances are not acceptable.
"It's pretty much all office-driven," Berlekamp said.
Hit a snag
The collection became a bone of contention after commissioners announced in August that they planned to contract with LightGov of Boardman, of which former commissioner David Engler is chief executive officer.
LightGov had agreed to do the work for $7,500.
Critics complained that Engler's company was getting the business because of his position as a former commissioner, which Berlekamp and current commissioners denied.
Berlekamp said he had selected LightGov because it has done projects like this before. He wanted a company with experience because it's the county's first electronic recycling drive.
Because of the controversy, commissioners decided to seek price quotes from other vendors. Niles Iron & amp; Metal bid $1 for the entire project, so it was the low bidder.
LightGov did not submit a price quote the second time around. Two other quotes were submitted: one for $4,494 and one for $6,000.
bjackson@vindy.com