Village of Russell Gardens trustees unanimously approved Thursday a new garbage pick-up contract with Meadow Carting Corporation, with the current contract set to expire on Feb. 29.
While the village also received a bid from Winters Bros. Waste Systems, Mayor Steve Kirschner said at the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting he was surprised of the difference between the two bids.
“It’s just a total shock to me that we get one bid that’s just about competitive to what we’re paying and one bid that’s 300 percent of what we’re paying,” Kirschner said.
Meadow Carting offered a three-year contract where the village would pay just under $97,000 the first year, $101,000 the second year and $105,000 the third year.
Winters Bros. offered a three-year contract worth $945,000 over that time span.
This year, the village paid Meadow Carting $95,000 for garbage pick-up, which includes regular garbage pick-up three days a week and recyclable pick-up once a week.
A resident at the meeting said she was concerned about other residents leaving garbage bins in front of their homes, which is against village code.
Kirschner said he would send a newsletter informing residents that if they leave garbage bins in front of their homes, they will receive a summons to appear in village court.
“Garbage is supposed to be picked up in the rear and that’s where we expect people to leave it,” he said. “It makes the village look better and we’re paying a lot of money for rear pick-up.”
The next board meeting is on March 3.
