Board approves updating consulting agreement

By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
OXFORD TWP. – The Oxford Township Board of Trustees is again exploring the idea of a single waste hauler for all township residents.
The board voted 4-3 during its meeting on Nov. 8 to update its consulting agreement with Resource Recycling Systems. The board also voted 6-1 for the Single Waste Hauler Committee to develop the township’s Request for Proposal (RFP) for a single waste hauler.
“We have two topics to discuss tonight: the first phase of the restart. We’re resuming our activities with Resource Recycling Systems. And we have a new quote from them to continue on with his activity here at the township,” said Trustee Jonathon Nold, who is on the township’s Single Waste Hauler Committee.
Nold made the motion to get an updated procurement proposal from Resource Recycling Systems to include procurement process facilitation, single hauler implementation support in an amount not to exceed $9,000 and to authorize township Supervisor Jack Curtis to sign the proposal on behalf of the township.
The motion was seconded by Trustee Rod Charles.
Clerk Curtis Wright and trustees Margaret Payne, Charles and Nold voted in favor of the motion. Curtis, Trustee Catherine Colvin and Treasurer Joe Ferrari voted against the motion.
Paul Taddonio, president of the Burton-based Community Disposal Service waste hauling company, spoke during public comment and urged the board to be cautious.
“I wasn’t here for your last bid process, but my experience with this company is that they are the opposite of anything that is transparent. They’re very good at coaching communities on how to do things without the public knowing about it. And when the public knows it’s always too late,” Taddonio said. “So, I would urge you to really think long and hard. My biggest concern is that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a community that they coach ever doing a public bid opening.”
Taddonio, who has been in the garbage business for 45 years, said the bids are not read in public, and bid amounts are not disclosed to the companies that bid, or the public.
“I have a lot of money at stake. I have a million dollars just in equipment in picking up (garbage in) this town. I’ve got about 2,000-plus customers now over here. So, that’s almost about 10 percent of my business,” Taddonio said. “And I would just like to have a chance to stay and fight for customer by customer because I can always win them by service.”
Oxford Township resident Michelle Culver also raised concerns about the township board bringing the single waste hauler proposal up again after more than 200 people spoke out against it earlier this spring.
“This single waste hauler is a huge deal for us. And for companies like Community Disposal that have served us so well, they deserve a fair fighting chance,” Culver said.
“And you could probably learn a wealth of information by talking to some garbage people that won’t cost you anything. There may be some other ways to achieve what you want to do. I’m sure there are other alternatives,” Taddonio said.
Colvin asked if questions the audience had at previous meetings would be addressed in the proposal.
“If things are approved tonight and the board asks us to move forward, yes,” Nold said.
Trustee Charles, who asked in September that switching to a single waste hauler be placed on an upcoming agenda for discussion, said he wanted to make sure the township was effectively communicating with the public.
“I just want to make sure (we) take into account what folks said that we do…have transparency and communication, I hear that. I think that the major effort going forward on this whole thing is communication so that the public knows what’s going on. That’s it,” said Charles.
Currently, Oxford Township residents can contract with whichever waste hauling company they choose.
Nold also requested that the Single Waste Hauler Committee move forward with developing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be brought to legal counsel and the board.
Nol made the motion to authorize the single waste hauler committee to update the request for proposal for a single waste hauler to serve Oxford Township and to present the RFP to the board at a future meeting for consideration for approval. The motion was seconded by Payne.
“Board members, this a request for proposal to see what a single waste hauler in Oxford Township servicing all township residents would cost. There is no ordinance in place requiring a single hauler at this time. This is putting the horse in front of the cart to find out if it is at least feasible, economical and bid on fairly by all waste hauling subsidies,” Curtis said.
Colvin, Curtis, Charles, Wright, Payne and Nold all voted yes. Ferrari cast the lone nay vote.