News

Transfer Station Going Private

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT- The City of Claremont has voted to continue the privatization process of the local transfer station. The decision comes after a six-month long planning process in which city council members issued a Request for Proposal to waste management companies to lease the transfer station.

In a 5-4 vote the decision to pass the agenda item was just as split as the citizens of Claremont are on the issue. Prior to the vote, an overflowing city council chambers heard citizen comments for, and against, privatizing the transfer station for a number of reasons. Amongst the reasons against privatizing were the increased prices of certain recyclables, including paper, glass, and plastic. Recyclables like metal and cardboard will continue to incur no cost to residents. The increase of prices of recyclables will match that of solid waste, causing not only a financial concern, but an environmental one as well.

“Even people who are against privatization and could get around to embracing it are flabbergasted by how the terms of the current bid are going to make the cost of Claremonters using the transfer station skyrocket and eliminate any financial incentive to separate any recycling from trash,” said Claremont Spice & Dry Goods owner Chiara Tolsi-Nelson at the meeting.

Although some citizens could warm up to the idea of privatization without increased costs, others saw this as a “slippery slope” and worried that Claremont could end up privatizing other city-run services, such as the fire and police departments. Members of the City Council acknowledged this concern and also raised the point that the city currently does privatize other typically city-run services, such as its ambulance service, which is currently done by Golden Cross Ambulance located in Claremont. City Council members cited staffing shortages with the Department of Public Works as one of a handful of reasons to move towards privatization, as it would fall under the responsibility of DeCamp to staff the location.

One speaker during citizen comments reminded the city council companies like DeCamp Trucking who won the bid, “They exist to generate profit for themselves,”. Other residents voiced concerns about the potential for DeCamp to raise prices as well, to which Assistant Mayor Debora Matteau responded, “There will be a carefully worded contract as to our expectations and if it doesn’t work out i’m sure there’s going to be an out clause if it isn’t serving the community properly.”

Some residents do look forward to DeCamp taking over the services of the Transfer Station, as they will pay taxes on the property and relieve the town of a $100,000 subsidy for the foreseeable future. The money, one city councilor suggested, could go towards things like filling potholes. Michael Tetu, who had served on a transfer station research committee in the past, suggested that the money being saved by the city wouldn’t actually be $100,000 rather a number closer to $40,000.

“The subsidy is not $100,000. You back out all the cost for the landfill last year was $85,000. The per bag increase to five dollars per bag is projected to raise $45,000 leaving us with a subsidy of $40,000 not $100,000. I don’t know why that 45 didn’t show up in the sanitation budget but it is predicted by Public Works,” Tetu said at the meeting.

The issue of the pace in which the transfer station privatization has moved along has also become a point of contention with Claremont residents. Council members on either side of the vote spoke on their feelings about the situation, including City Council Jon Stone who said, “We did our due diligence. I don’t think six months is rushing it. We’ve already taken a vote and said we do not want to do a committee. We had enough support to justify an RFP and that’s the motion currently on the floor of this council.”

Whereas City Councilor Matt Mooshian who voted no on privatization said, “When we see this level of participation from our community it’s only in our best interest to lean into that. We just approved the budget, we aren’t in a rush to privatize at this time and I can’t sit here and look at a full room and think moving forward with that is in the best interest of our community at this time.”

Other councils that voted no on the privatization of the transfer station were Andrew O’Hearn, Rocky Beliveau, and Jim Contois. In favor were Jon Stone, Assistant Mayor Debora Matteau, Mayor Dale Girard, and Nicholas Koloski.

The next steps for the transfer station are now underway. Interim City Manager John Bohenko will enter into negotiations with DeCamp Trucking. Once a contract has been drafted, it will be brought to the city council for their approval. Once the requirements of the City Council members are met, they may vote to approve it.

Avatar photo

As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.