Garbage Increase

[KennyN]

I had no idea we were due for a $15 garbage increase.  Is this part of the contract that was signed to increase this much?  If any one has insight to this would really appreciate your help.

Ken

[JoeP]

My Garbage bill for 1Q-2008 went from $63.93 to $78.69 for an increase of $14.76.  Outrageous.

The contracted price for 2008 was $268.56 annually or $67.14 per Q.

The township supervisors sold Newton residents done the river with this contract and resulted in two of the gang of 5 getting dumped.  Look in the Local News Forum - under the topic Garbage Fee Increase - to see the most current discussion on this.  There is also a link there to the actual contract and bid documents.   Also see the forum What's Your Beef and look at the topic Something Stinks in Newton for the entire bloody history how all this came about.

The contract says on p.4 (item d) that the prices shall "not be changed" nor is there any mention of a price increase in the bid document.  So it is obvious the supervisors had the wool pulled over their eyes because WM is no doubt nailing us for a fuel surcharge.  But as pointed out by DavidK's post - the whole contract is illegal according to the codebook.

What some folks have been doing is "doubling up" with another resident where one has no garbage service and the other has.  The one without brings their garbage to the one with service and they split the costs.  Some other residents just have no service and take their garbage somewhere else.

The contract comes up for renewal in 2008.  Do you think Newton residents will have a say in it?

I might add the Township supervisors also sold Newton residents down the river when they signed the franchise with the cable company by not holding down rate increases and by not insisting that cable services be delivered to all township residents regardless of location.

[KennyN]

Thanks JoeP.  Will go to that discussion and read up on it. Just checking to see if I had missed something.  Everything you say just rings so true with the way WM has done their business.

[Sal]

The contracted price for 2008 was $268.56 annually or $67.14 per Q.

I looked everything over and the contract unit price per residential dwelling for 2008 is $268.56.

I did not see anything in the contract that would allow for an additional increase so it looks like we are due a refund.

[JoeP]

I called Waste Management on 12/27 and asked why the 2008 charges were higher than contracted.  Apparently WM has an option to add (pass on) fuel and environmental fee increases.  I believe this is the same explanation as I received last year.

I cannot find where these additional charges are specified, authorized (and capped) in the contract or bid documents that are online.  So it appears the township supervisors were duped.  I thought the township had a lawyer who went over these contracts to make sure they were in the best interests of the residents.

I don't blame WM (and overall they do a good job) - they are just smarter.

I'm concerned, as demonstrated by this of situation, the Township Supervisors don't fully realize that many of their residents are retired on a fixed income and many others are making low wages.  Have they examined census data to determine the townships demographics?  So unrestrained increases in garbage, cable and property tax rates, along with gas and heating costs, milk and food can put a significant strain on people's budgets.  The Township Supervisors need to be reminded that it's our money they are committing to contract and/or spending.

 :mad:

[JoeP]

If you received and examined your latest WM bill for the 2nd Quarter, you should see a credit for $11.55.  I called WM and asked what this was for and they said it was a refund for an erroneous overcharge added to the last (1st) quarter for recycling.  Recycling is supposed to be included in our base price and our quarterly fee should be $67.14 as stated in the contract.  When I called WM in January, they said the additional $11.55 was a fuel surcharge.

Why I am calling WM?  Don't any of our supervisors live in Newton?  Didn't they notice the 1Q rate was not the contracted rate?  Shouldn't our Township supervisors/lawyer challenged the new 1Q 2008 rate or were they asleep at the switch again?  I hope they are more alert and protecting the residents interests when the new garbage contract comes up this year.  This has been a debacle since day one.