TRASH PICKUP Trustees advocate 1 company

The officials hope the move will save residents money and increase services.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Township trustees feel residents may be throwing money out with the trash, and now hope to save residents money by contracting with one exclusive trash collection company.
Township Trustee Jodi Stoyak said Monday that residents contract with whatever company they choose for trash collection. Stoyak said the three companies operating in the township pose a few problems. The main problems, however, are that none of the companies do curbside recycling pickup, as well as a noise problem with the three companies collecting trash at different times and days on the same streets, she said.
Stoyak said she thinks the township's contracting with one company will eliminate the problems and save residents money.
"What we are going to try to accomplish by going out to bid for this service, is to make the trash haulers that are available here compete for business in the township and provide us more services at about the same cost," she said.
According to Stoyak, Ohio state law grants townships the ability to contract with an exclusive company to collect trash.
Potential benefits
Stoyak said she thinks that with an exclusive contract, a trash company should be more inclined to offer curbside recycling pickup without a drastic increase in charges.
Trustee Gary Litch said he has been working to get this type of resolution passed in the township for eight years. The current board of trustees, he said, seems to be more interested in the issue than previous boards.
Litch said trustees are still hashing out the details of what they want to see in the potential contract and how long the contract term will be. He said dealing with one exclusive trash company could not only save money but be lucrative to the township.
"I would like to see if... we could get something back in the form of a franchise fee," he said.
As an example, Litch said the contracted company could give $1 to the township for every household from which trash is collected. He said the $1 give back would be justified by the repair cost associated with maintaining township roads after heavy use by the hauler's large trucks.
Stoyak said residents do not have to worry about an increase in trash collection fees with the move to one company.
"We will not do this if rates are going to go up," she said. "The whole purpose in doing this is to get a competitive rate."
Stoyak hopes to advertise for bids within the next 60 days.
jgoodwin@vindy.com