The Salem City Council has selected the low bidder Sunrise Sanitation of Salem as its garbage collector for the next five years starting January first.
However, there were concerns including the company not being able to provide totes that could be picked up by trucks with automatic arms until April 1st, 2025. Sunrise would continue to provide the fall cleanup.
The discussion began with Public Works Director Annette Sola saying regardless of who was selected prices had to go up. While a specific garage rate increase was not presented, she explained what needed to be done to get the fee for leaf vacuum, yard waste collection, and support of the recycling center to the break-even level.
“Our proposal right now with that rate is go to $2.45 to $5.50 per month. It seems like a large increase but it’s an increase that just puts us back to zero in that fund.”
But Councilman Jim Koehler said he was done with the rising rates.
“We are taxing people to death and raising all their fees and I think it’s time to draw the line on it, suck it up and we are going to have a swimming pool taken off in a couple of years. I don’t know what happens there.”
Koehler’s comments came as the council was discussing selecting a garage contractor other than the low bidder. Mayor Nic Farley favored Republic Services for an eight-year contract that was still a few dollars higher than the shorter contract terms of the other bidders. The company said the higher cost was in part because they would purchase a new garbage truck to provide service to Salem.
The other contractors were also allowed to address the council. The current contractor DBS noted they could provide the totes by January first as the city wanted. The company also proposed a fee for the pickup of large items at any time and doing away with the fall city-wide cleanup.
Sunrise owner Kristie Blackman explained their low bid that will begin the first year at $12.60 a month without totes. The rates would increase to $14.02 per stop in the final year of the three-year contract.
“I’m hometown and gave you the bid that reflects that. I’m able to pick you up at a cheaper rate than the rest of them. Drug testing, we have to do with workers comp, we do reference checks. I have had the same employees for the last 15 years.”
Blackman said she would not be buying a new truck to serve Salem.
Councilman Koehler, Tracy Crouch, and Craig Morton voted for Sunrise’s bid, while Mayor Farley and Councilman Royce Bringwald voted no.
