Official: Bills were a mistake

Struthers residents who paid the erroneous bills will receive a refund.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- An undetermined number of city residents who have erroneously received trash pickup bills from Waste Management of Ohio for May, June and July should not pay them, city officials say.
Residents who have already paid the bogus bills can expect a refund from Waste Management, which sent the bills out before the company realized the city's curbside solid waste collection and disposal contract had been awarded to another firm, a company spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said the company bills in advance for three months, May, June and July for instance, and said Struthers residents should not have been billed for that period. However, she said residents still must pay Waste Management for service up to May 1.
On March 6, the city board of control awarded a two-year contract, beginning May 1, to Browning-Ferris of Ohio, doing business as Allied Waste Services of Youngstown. Browning-Ferris was the low bidder on the contract, said Safety-Service Director John P. Sveda.
However, Waste Management didn't get the word, and sent out bills for May, June and July, resulting in a deluge of calls from irate citizens to city hall.
Lots of calls
Danny Thomas, administrative assistant to Mayor Daniel Mamula, said the mayor's office fielded at least 150 calls Monday and Tuesday, and talked to quite a few more upset people who visited city hall in person.
"It's causing a lot of confusion. We're telling citizens to throw away the Waste Management bills for May, June and July," he said.
Sveda said BFI was awarded a two-year contract based on its low bids of 9.55 per residential unit per month, billed quarterly at 28.65. BFI's rate per 10-pack of refuse bags is 25.
Waste Management's bid, the only other one received, was 10.48 per residential unit per month, billed quarterly at 34.44. Waste Management's rate per 10-pack of refuse bags was also 25, Sveda said.
The safety-service director said Struthers trash pickup rates remain the lowest in the area, even with the increase.
alcorn@vindy.com