July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Bids for recycling reviewed (03/16/07)

Portland Board of Works

By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-

The future of curbside recycling in Portland likely won't be decided until April.

Members of the Portland Board of Works opened bids Thursday for recycling collection services in the city, but did not select one.

The board also is considering eliminating collection at residences.

A decision is expected to be made at a future meeting.

The city sought bids because of a substantial cost increase proposed by Waste Management, which has provided curb-side collection in Portland since 1999. The company has not increased its fees since it began providing services to the city, charging $86,400 per year.

A Cincinnati company submitted what appears to be the low bid to provide weekly curbside recycling pick-up, while Waste Management was apparently the highest of three bidders.

Rumpke of Cincinnati, Ohio, was the apparent low bidder, followed by Best Way of Indiana (Modoc) and Waste Management.

Board members did not discuss the possibility of eliminating recycling collection at residences on Thursday. They voted to review the bids and possibly make a decision April 5.

The Rumpke bid came in at a price of $7,800 per month/$93,600 per year. Rumpke was the company which provided the first curbside recycling service in Portland.

Best Way submitted a bid of $4.19 per household, or $10,056 per month, and Waste Management's bid came in at $4.75 per household, or $136,800 per year. The collection amounts were based on 2,400 households.

Before voting, board member Bob McCreery asked representatives of the recycling companies who attended the meeting how much of the material collected cannot be recycled.

A representative from Best Way said it is about 10 percent.

McCreery said he recently spoke with Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent, who told him only about half of people put out recycling to be collected. He asked if the fees for collection would be adjusted accordingly.

No one answered his question, but Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said board members should review the bids and determine what would be best for the community.

Also Thursday, board members Dolphus Stephens, McCreery and Hosier voted to close a portion of Commerce Street while the roof of a business is being repaired.

The street will be closed from Walnut Street north to Eagle Alley, near Barnett's Downtown Parts and Service, 124 1/2 W. Walnut St. This portion of the street is expected to be closed for about a week, beginning Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Steve Barnett, owner of the business, asked for the street to be closed to protect passers-by from falling debris. Three parking spaces in front of the business along West Walnut Street also will be closed.[[In-content Ad]]
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