Livonia waste contract discussion headed to committee

More discussion will take place before the City of Livonia approves a new refuse contract this spring.

The city council voted unanimously Monday evening to send the issue of a new refuse contract to the capital improvement committee. A meeting to discuss the issue will take place at 7 p.m. March 18 in city hall.

The talk surrounding the city’s waste services comes less than two weeks after the council was presented with a proposal to sign a new contract with the city’s current provider, Waste Management. Several city council members expressed concern that the contract, one of the largest in the city, would not go out to competitive bid.

While Waste Management received high praise for its work in Livonia in recent years by several council members and mayor Jack Kirksey, councilwoman Laura Toy, who offered the motion to send it to committee, said reviewing other options could benefit the city.

“The rational behind that is so we can take a better look at what we’re dealing with in regards to the solid waste pickup in our community,” Toy said. “I think by interviewing these folks and bringing them into the capital improvement committee, if that’s the chair’s intention, I think it will reveal a lot.”

The city’s administration brought the council two proposals for a new contract with Waste Management during its previous meeting, one for a three-year contract and one for a five-year contract. The proposed deal would limit increases in future years to 1.5 percent, and a proposed rate increase for the current year would freeze, saving the city $310,000 in budgeted funds this year.

The current millage for refuse services in the city is 3.0246 mills, a rate that will remain the same this year.

The agenda topic brought two separate waste removal service company representatives to the council’s meetings: one from Rizzo Environmental Services in February, and one from Republic Services Monday evening. Both representatives indicated their respective companies would be interested in bidding to provide the city their services.

Praise for Waste Management

Even with sending the contract issue to committee, several city officials praised Waste Management, saying the company has been a great contractor, especially during times of need. Councilwoman Susan Nash said she had been impressed with the service provided during the flooding in 2011, and cited their work last summer in other Metro Detroit communities that suffered severe flooding damage.

“There were many communities where the garbage was not picked up for a considerable amount of time,” she said. “And Waste Management was not responsible for those communities, but yet they did go and help those communities when they needed it.”

“I just wanted to say thank you to Waste Management for the time and effort they’ve put in here in Livonia.”

Kirksey said his office typically fields calls regarding the waste disposal services from residents, and “seldom” receives a call from a resident looking to complain.

He said he’s seen a wide variety of items being disposed of by residents, including old carpeting as people renovate their homes, being taken care of in a timely and efficient manner.

“Waste Management’s record has been impeccable. They do give the best, top-notch service to this community,” he said.

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