The city estimated the new garbage disposal service will cost it about $1,058,000 per year.
Athens will soon be entering into a new contract for garbage disposal, requiring Athens City Council to hold two extra sessions before the end of the week.
Councilwoman Michele Papai, D-3rd Ward, announced at Monday night’s council meeting that the city has accepted Athens-Hocking Recycling Center’s bid for the contract.
The existing contract is set to expire June 30.
Rumpke Trash also placed a bid for the contract.
“We scored it and determined the Athens-Hocking Recycling Center as being the best able to support the needs of the community,” Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said.
Wiehl said he analyzed both bids along with Service-Safety Director Paula Horan-Moseley, Code Enforcement Director John Paszke and Litter Waste Control Officer George Nowicki.
They estimated Athens-Hocking’s service would cost the city $1,058,000 per year, while Rumpke’s would cost nearly $1,300,000.
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Since the contract will have to be signed so soon, council members will likely meet for two more special sessions later in the week to pass the ordinance. There were not enough members of council present to suspend the rules on the ordinance.
Council members have to announce a special session of council at least 24 hours before the session takes place.
Deputy Auditor Laura Kreider also spoke to Athens City Council regarding an ordinance being put together by members of the department.
The ordinance would adjust administrative fees throughout many of the city’s departments.
Specifically, Kreider said funds for the wastewater treatment plant and garbage disposal would decrease, while the street fund and recreation fund will increase.
Those funds will be taken out of the unappropriated funds in the city’s general fund.
However, the amount of money in the general fund will not be enough to cover all of the increase to the recreation fund, so Rich Campatelli, director of Athens Arts Parks and Recreation, has agreed to decrease the amount of money appropriated into the department’s equipment line to account for those funds.
Kreider did not specify how much the funds were changing.
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Wiehl said once they’re able to see the full text of the ordinance, council members could propose changes as they saw fit, although he conceded that since the ordinance has been approved by the state auditor’s office, there might not be a need for changes.
“I would suggest in the future you look at it again to see if it fits everything that needs to be done,” he said. “I think this is a good start.”
He added that council members might want to include a clause in the ordinance that requires the adjustments to be reviewed on a biannual or triannual basis.
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