Council authorizes advertising of bids for new waste-hauling contract

February 21, 2023

by Dan Holland

Jan. 23 city council meeting

Broadview Heights City Council granted its approval for the city to advertise for bids for residential solid waste collection, disposal and recycling services for 2023-2028. The city is currently in the second and final extension year of a five-year agreement for a semi-automated collection program with Rumpke that commenced in August 2016.

The city purchased 7,000, 65-gallon recycling carts, funded mainly through grants from the Ohio EPA and The Recycling Partnership, which were distributed to all homes in fall 2021, making the current collection system possible.

Service Director David Schroedel, who will oversee the bid process, explained to council members during a Jan. 17 work session, that he would be bidding on three options for a new contract that would begin Aug. 1. The first option would keep in place the same semi-automated service, which utilizes automated pickup of recycling items using the containers, along with bulk pickup of trash. A second option would be full automation with the selected trash hauler providing an additional 96-gallon trash cart. A third option would be similar to the second option but with a gradual phase-in beginning in the third year of the contract.

According to Schroedel, if the second or third options are chosen, he would request smaller trash containers for use under certain circumstances.

“For instance, senior citizens that don’t generate that much trash; I’m hoping that will be an option,” said Schroedel. “I don’t think you can go much smaller than the 65-gallon containers, though, because of the equipment they use to load it into the trucks.”

Schroedel said fully automated waste hauling is the method trending in most Northeast Ohio communities. Grants are not available for the purchase of trash containers, he added. All bids are due in early March.

“Most of it is driven by the labor market for the haulers,” he said. “They’re just having trouble finding enough drivers. It’s a hard job where you’re out in traffic. If you’re lifting the containers by hand, there are a lot of injuries and workers comp involved.”

The city currently pays $9 per month per household and $49.40 per ton of waste disposal. An estimated cost of $1.13 million for the service in 2022 – up from an original cost of $928,183 in 2016 – may climb higher with the new bids.

“I’ll have more answers in mid-March once the bids come in and I have a chance to dig into them,” said Schroedel.

In other action, council passed resolutions:

To enter into an agreement with Ganley Ford for the purchase of three vehicles for use by the city’s service department: an F-450 4 X 4 with plow package and auger, an F-250 4 X 2 with a crew cab and stainless-steel bed and a 4 X 4 Explorer.
To accept a $7,024 grant from the Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program for the purchase of police body armor.
To enter into an agreement with the Spear Corporation for the purchase of a Pulsar Precision Feeder for the pool and spa area in the city’s recreation center at a cost of $10,866.
To enter into an agreement with Towlift Inc. for the purchase of a scissor lift for the service department at a cost of $14,985.
To enter into an agreement with Southeastern Equipment Co. Inc. for purchase of an asphalt hot box and recycler at a cost of $51,350.
To enter into an agreement with BPI Information Systems for IT services at a cost of $2,080 per month and also purchasing a block of 50 IT support hours at a cost of $7,000.

Under miscellaneous business, council also passed a motion authorizing payment to Rumpke for an additional 50-cent per ton waste disposal fee implemented by the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. ∞