Voters to decide on single waste hauler in November
By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. – The Oxford Township Board of Trustees approved a single waste hauler Request for Proposal (RFP) document during its meeting on March 12, outlining the criteria for companies to submit bids to potentially become the township’s exclusive garbage carrier.
The board voted 6-0 to approve the RFP. Trustee Rod Charles was absent from the meeting.
The township’s Single Waste Hauler Committee put forth the RFP to get the board’s approval to send it out for bids, said Trustee Jonathan Nold.
While the township is requesting bids, voters will still have the final say on whether the township switches to a single waste hauler system. The Oxford Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously in December to put the decision on whether or not the township switches to a single waste hauler system before voters on the Nov. 5 General Election ballot.
“The only reason we’re going out for a bid for a single waste hauler right now is so that we can find out what a price would be if this were to be put on the ballot (for) the electorate to choose a company knowing whether you’re saving or costing us money,” said Supervisor Jack Curtis.
Treasurer Joe Ferrari said he wanted to make sure that the voters’ decision in the election would be binding to the township board.
“What happened back in 1990, is that it was only an advisory question, and a lot of the electorate were upset because it didn’t have any impact on the board,” Ferrari said. “So, if the people say yes, we proceed. If the people say no, we do not proceed.”
If voters do decide to support a single waste hauler proposal, that company would provide exclusive disposal services for the entire residential portion of the township. Oxford Township has more than 22,300 residents according to the 2020 Census. The township is 35.2 square miles with approximately 8,171 households.
The request for proposal (RFP) is for solid waste, recycling and yard waste collection, transportation and disposal services. Bids will be received until noon on April 11 in the clerk’s office, and “shall remain firm through Nov. 6, 2024,” according to township documents.
The initial term of the collection contract is expected to begin on or before July 1, 2025 with a “service period of five years” with an option to renew or extend for up to five more years, according to the township’s RFP. Prices would remain firm during the length of the contract.
The township board will consider any contract for approval during its May 8 meeting.
The contractor “would be the exclusive provider of these services to all residential units in the Township except those residences in condominiums and multi-family structures that receive dumpster service,” the RFP states.
The township’s listed goals for the single waste hauler include: lowering costs to citizens, providing better services to residents, reduced congestion and other transportation improvements, lowering road maintenance costs, environment quality, extending landfill life in Michigan, improve the appearance of recreational parks, increasing public safety.
Residents would receive waste collection, recycling, yard waste and bulky item/white goods collection, recycling and waste carts delivered to residences, optional yard waste carts, invoicing and a provision for the contractor to handle customer complaints and service issues and “their successful resolution,” the RPF documents stated.
The tentative timeline for the proposal process includes the noon April 11 RFP deadline. The township will then evaluate the submitted proposals from April 11-15. Presentations and interviews of the companies selected on the township’s short list will be from April 15-19 and the selections/negotiations period is from April 22 – May 1.
The township board will decide whether or not to officially authorize the ballot question on May 8.