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Updated, 10 a.m.
NORWALK, Conn. City Carting has been chosen to be the company that picks up Norwalk's garbage if the controversial plan to outsource collection wins approval of the Common Council next week.
The company was selected Thursday by a panel that included five city employees and two councilmen one Democrat and one Republican according to a memorandum written by Department of Public Works Director Hal Alvord and posted on the city's website. A special meeting of the council's Public Works Committee will be held Tuesday to allow public comment.
Councilman David Watts (D-District A), a vocal opponent of the plan to outsource, called the public hearing meeting a "sham" in an email, and said that, at this point, Republicans have the votes to ratify a contract and go to outsourcing.
Common Councilman David McCarthy (R-District E), chairman of the committee, said that he had moved the meeting to July to avoid a criticism made by Democrats that it was being done while people are on vacation. He thought it "unfortunate" that Watts' characterization of the meeting as a "sham" made its way to the public. "I pushed the schedule to make the discussion fall into July...and for some reason this is a sham?" he asked in an email.
Although 10 firms expressed an interest in picking up Norwalk's garbage, only Finnochio Brothers and City Carting submitted bids. The panel making the decision consisted of Alvord, DPW Operations Manager Lisa Burns, Management and Budget Director Bob Barron, Assistant Corporation Counsel Diane Beltz-Jacobson, Common Councilman David McCarthy (R-District E) and Common Councilman Bruce Kimmel (D-District D).
Finnochio Brothers remained firm during the negotiating process, Alvord wrote in his memo.
"City Carting proposed the more attractive prices in both its base proposal and its alternative value-added proposal and negotiated revisions as a result of the City counter-offer," Alvord wrote.
The contract being considered with City Carting would begin Oct 1 and extend through June 30, 2023, according to the memorandum posted on the city's website. The contract will save the city $855,328 in its first full year, according to Alvord's memo.
In addition, City Carting will switch to single-stream recycling on July 1, 2013, and provide 64-gallon recycling toters to all properties at its cost.
Other amendments include a change in the rate the company charges at the transfer station.
Alvord wrote that the first full year of savings for the city is more than $1.2 million. "Over the lives of the proposed actions, the city of Norwalk will experience cash flow savings of nearly $17 million," he wrote. "At Norwalks current discount rate, these savings have a net present value of $14.5 million."
The current contract with City Carting expires Dec. 31, 2018. The new contract will expire on June 30, 2023.
"I cannot see how any council person could possibly vote against saving the city almost $17 million over the next 10 years," McCarthy said in an email.
The public hearing will be at 7:30 p.m. in Room 231 at City Hall, 125 East Ave.
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