CONNEAUT — An ordinance that would authorize the city manager to seek bids for an exclusive residential trash hauling service was moved to a second reading at Monday’s City Council meeting.
Council voted 4-3 to rescind the three-reading rule for new legislation. Six votes are needed to bypass the rule. In favor were Council President James Jones, at-large councilmen Chris Castrilla and Jacob Chicatelli and Ward 4 Councilman Tony Julio. Opposed were Ward 1 Councilman Dave Campbell, Ward 2 Councilman Charles Lewis and Ward 3 Councilman Greg Mooney.
City Manager Robert Schaumleffel Jr., has said he can secure a contract with a hauler that would dramatically lower trash hauling rates paid by residential customers in return for exclusive rights. The proposed contract is patterned after an agreement used for years in Geneva.
Council’ s vote came after a presentation from Randy Dearing of All-County Disposal Company, a Rock Creek-based company that does trash hauling in the city. Dearing said he would have a hard time meeting some of the bond requirements apparently stipulated in the contract specifications.
“The bond requirement is very tough to get,” he told council.
Three years ago, Conneaut’s health board invited All-County to expand its services in the city to provide competition for Waste Management, Dearing said. Today, All-County has 1,100 customers in Conneaut.
Losing that business via an exclusive arrangement would cost All-County some jobs, Dearing said. “It would be a devastating hit to us,” he said.
He urged council to be wary of an exclusive contract, saying rates that seem attractive now could jump if competition is taken out of the equation.
Campbell said a lower rate may result from the contract, but at the expense of freedom of choice and the free enterprise system. Castrilla said he would at least like to see the savings that could result before making a decision.
“It doesn’t cost anything to look at bids,” he said. “We need to take a look at the options.”
In other business, council agreed to waive a $1,000 sanitary sewer tap-in fee for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, which is constructing a $500,000 addition. The church will hook into an existing tap on its property.
Council voted 6-1 in favor, with Julio opposed. Julio did not state the reason for his vote, saying he spoke with the Rev. Franklin Gore, church pastor, prior to the meeting.
Elsewhere, council:
n Agreed to add six members to the Conneaut Board of Tourism, boosting the total to 15. More members will make it easier to get board members to local events, council was told.
n Appointed John Buckle to a four-year term on the tourism board
n Authorized Schaumleffel to finalize an agreement with Conneaut Area City Schools that would allow the schools to buy unleaded fuel for its vehicles at the city-operated pump within the Public Works Department garage. A similar arrangement already allows the city’s fire trucks and ambulances to buy diesel fuel at the school bus garage
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