PALMER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
GENERAL BUSINESS MEETING
A
general business meeting of the Palmer Township Board of Supervisors was held
on
2. APPROVAL
OF DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS –
INFORMATION
The report will be provided at the meeting.
DISCUSSION
On
motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the
disbursement of funds for
3.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES –
DISCUSSION
Bruno noted to remove the word “out” from the fifth line in the last paragraph on page three.
On motion by Panella,
seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the Board approved the minutes of
4. DISCUSSION
OF WASTE HAULING BIDS
INFORMATION
The Board will discuss different options regarding the waste hauling
bids.
DISCUSSION
Colver said at the last
meeting this was discussed and Colver reviewed the three options that were
bid. Colver said the bids have been
opened and the Environmental Steering Committee (
Colver said questions that he
would like to address are the issues regarding limited pickup versus
unlimited. Colver said we know the
recycling numbers are going down in the township and that is an issue. Smith said the hardest decision for this Board
is the cost for the unlimited option versus the cost for the toter option which
is very close. Smith said he feels if we
go with the toter program, where we could add one bulk item per week, the
numbers may exceed the unlimited bid. Smith said he has issues, questions, and
concerns with both options. Smith said
he is concerned with how the trash tonnage is growing and recycling is
declining. Smith said with the toter
option residents will be forced to pay more attention to what they put in their
toter. Smith said he doesn’t like having
to make a decision to go with the toter and force it on the residents. Smith said another concern of his is we may
end up finding trash thrown around the township if we go with the toter program. Colver said he agrees with what Supervisor
Smith says and he’s been trying to list the pros and cons for each option.
Colver said awhile back
someone mentioned if they could put one bulk item out with the toter option, it
may work. Smith said for the people who
want to purchase a second toter why would it cost the same amount for pickup as
a resident with one toter. Colver said in
our original bid we didn’t include a bulk item in the toter option. Colver said how can we get to a happy
medium. Colver said we also bid for a
five year contract with a one year option.
Panella said in a five year period the landfill situation can change.
Colver asked the solicitor about the process if
they choose to change some options and re-bid.
Bruno said you mentioned issues regarding what’s best for the residents. On the other side, you are talking about some
different pricing options too. Bruno
said some may say a three year term may result in better pricing and that is
one consideration. Bruno said we asked in
the initial bid for 100% of the total contract cost to be bonded. Bruno said this requirement could affect the
cost of bids too. Bruno said if you
choose to re-bid you may get a better result if you lower the bond requirement. Bruno said you have to look at the affects of
each method. Bruno said if you want to
include one bulk item with the toter option it would need to be re-bid. Bruno said the practical problem is in the
timing. Bruno said he feels re-bidding
could be accomplished. However if we choose
an option that requires a longer period of implementation, we may need to ask
for an extension from our current contractor.
Mitchell said he feels we
should add a bulk item to the toter option, throw out the second option, and re-bid
option three. The Board agreed to
eliminate option two. Colver said why couldn’t we bid for a three year contract plus one year
option and a five year contract plus one year option. Bruno said he wouldn’t recommend a one year
bond but you can decide on a percentage no less than 20%. Anckaitis said if the Board decided on a 20
or 30% bond it would be that percent of the entire cost of the five year contract. Bruno said that is correct. Bruno said he checked documentation and you
could actually go as low as 10%, but he wouldn’t recommend that.
Smith said the numbers show a
substantial increase and he feels we owe it to the residents to look at ways to
minimize the increase. Bruno said if you
believe a re-bid can benefit the residents and still provide services closer to
what the residents are getting now, it can be re-bid.
Colver reviewed the items he
wrote down; adjusting the bonding percentage of the total contract; getting
numbers for a three plus one contract in addition to a five plus one; the toter
option has to include one bulk item a week; and the need to get the second
toter purchase pricing. Panella said the
seniors should be allowed to get a smaller toter and shouldn’t have to pay the
same amount as a 96 gallon toter. Bruno
said the first bid allowed for a 32 gallon toter for residents but they would
pay the same as the 96 gallon toter. Tom
Ganssle, Co-chair of the Environmental Steering Committee, said the truck still
has to get there and pick up the trash, so they all pay the same price. Colver said the truck, insurance, and liability
is still the same whether the toter is 96 or 32 gallons. Bruno said we can have an additional toter
added to the price list. Rob Reese,
Co-Chair of the ESC said the percentage of people that purchase the second
toter is very small. Colver asked for a timeline
if we re-bid. Bruno said if you believe
it is in the best interest of the township to re-bid, first you would have to
reject all bids and list the reasons for rejecting the bids. Bruno said we would want to re-advertise as
soon as possible. We would advertise on
two different occasions, at intervals not less than three days or once a week
for two successive weeks. This gets us
into early March for bid opening. Bruno
said we’ll have to allow for less than 60 days for the bidders to supply their
bids. Bruno said he didn’t feel a pre-bid
conference would be needed this time around since bidders are already aware of
what the township is looking for. Bruno
said it’s a tight schedule but he feels it can be done.
Mitchell suggested we get
feedback from residents that are in attendance tonight. Colver said he will accept questions or
comments on waste hauling and to please keep it to five minutes per person.
Al DeGennaro, Corporate
Counsel of J. P. Mascaro, said at this time he would ask the Board to think
about the purpose of this process. DeGennaro
said bulk and additional trash won’t affect the recycling numbers. DeGennaro said he would ask if the price is
so close for unlimited versus the toter, is it really worthwhile making all
these changes to re-bid. DeGennaro said
re-bidding in the past shows the new bid numbers don’t always go down. DeGennaro said regarding the comment earlier
about senior citizen pickup, residents currently who are putting out a small bag
each week are paying the same as a neighbor who puts out bags and bags of trash. That won’t change. DeGennaro said if
you want to keep it the same for residents, you have an unlimited option now. DeGennaro said regarding bonding you want to
provide your residents with the highest protection. DeGennaro asked if the toter option is really
what the community wants.
Sam Augustine, J. P. Mascaro
and Sons, said the ESC had a task to determine cost versus value. Augustine said after tonight’s discussion it
is obvious you want what is best for the residents. Other communities in the area, Upper Macungie
and
Robert Natkie, General Manager
for J. P. Mascaro’s Allentown Division, said he talked with neighbors in the township
and he feels his organization could provide the best service. Natkie said he sees 20 gallon recycling
containers that are overflowing in the township now. Natkie said the toter option will restrict
his family and residents like him.
Natkie said he’ll have to store garbage on his property for a later pickup
with the toter system. Natkie said you’ll
also find people putting trash in the neighbor’s toter. Natkie said he has three kids and he
generates a lot of garbage. Residents
will find some way to get rid of the garbage.
Natkie said with the process now, I know I can put my trash out and it
will be gone the next day. Natkie said I
don’t have to worry about purchasing stickers to put my sofa out.
Harold Harrison, Woodridge
Terrace, asked why go to toter versus what we have now. Colver said there was a lot of concern about
trash flying around the township and the toter system is a clean system where
you don’t have trash flying around. Plus
it limits the amount of garbage put out which will lower our tonnage. Colver said our recycling numbers have been
declining and with the toter system the ESC feels people would pay more
attention to what they put in the toter and the recycling numbers should
increase. Colver said we do receive
grants for recycling.
Charles Pantaleo, Manager at Raritan
Valley Disposal, said they supply the toter system in
Joe Daniello, Operations Mgr,
Carol Barry,
Walt Aicher,
Robert DiNicola,
Elaine Arnts,
Ed Dean, 2310 Woodridge
Terrace, asked on behalf of Mr. Harrison if a resident could get three regular
cans instead of a toter. Colver said
they would need the toter.
Colver introduced Tom Ganssle
and Rob Reese, Co-Chairs of the Environmental Steering Committee. Ganssle said he has been a member of the committee
for eight or nine years. Ganssle said
the committee researched options for two to three years. Ganssle said the committee’s goal was to reduce
trash in the landfills and also increase recycling. Ganssle said recycling is the law, not a
choice, and it will save the township money in the long run. Ganssle said the committee recommended the
toter program to the Board of Supervisors after two years of research because
of the advantages and cost reductions.
It is the wave of collection in this country. Ganssle asked why should residents who don’t ever
put bulk items out be paying for people who put them out every week. Ganssle said the township residents have
relatives and friends that bring trash to their houses on garbage day. Ganssle said toters are cleaner, they appear
nicer, and are easy to move with the large wheels. Toters last 15 to 20 years and are guaranteed
for 10 years. Ganssle said it is also safer
and cheaper for the haulers. Ganssle
said the township will have the opportunity for 90% reimbursement, through
state grants, for the cost of the toters.
Ganssle said the hauling companies are ready to roll out the toter
program immediately. We need to
encourage people to recycle more. Ganssle
said it was proven in
Anckaitis said the township
gets a considerable amount of money for the recycling that is collected in the
township. Anckaitis said we get over
$100,000 a year in recycling grants and the more we recycle the larger that
number becomes. Ganssle said grant money
received by Palmer over the years, total over one million dollars thanks to our
residents. Colver said the amount listed
in the bid to purchase the toters was $369,000.
Colver brought it back to the
Board to decide if the consensus was re-bid or to make a decision on the existing
bids. Smith said he would like to see
the numbers for the toter program with it including one bulk item a week. Mitchell and Panella agreed. Colver said in addition to that he would like
to change the bonding requirements. The
Board agreed to re-bid options one and three.
Panella asked if we end up allowing one bulk item, a toter, and a
recycle can, will there be three trucks.
Colver said the toter and bulk item would go in the same truck. Colver said it will be two trucks on your
street no matter what option we choose. Bruno said if the consensus is to re-bid we will need a motion to reject all bids.
On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board made a motion to reject all bids to allow for the best interests of the township to be served by providing for the opportunity to review options which provide better service with the toter option, the potential to lower costs to township residents on all options, and to better evaluate all options in a more educated manner in light of all issues discussed.
Bruno said he will attempt to prepare
a bid package with help from the ESC and will address all concerns the Board
raised tonight. We will re-bid options
one and three, the unlimited and the toter.
Bruno said the toter option will have one bulk item per week included as
part of that option. Bruno confirmed
that the Board wanted each option bid as a three year contract and five year contract
with one year option for both. Bruno
asked if the Board wanted the bilateral option included. The Board said yes. Bruno asked if they wanted to lower the performance
bond requirement that was previously stated at 100%. Colver said he feels comfortable with
50%. The Board agreed to go with a 50%
bond requirement. Bruno said there will
be four different things on a bid pricing form and an alternative pricing sheet
will also be included. Bruno stated no
motion was required for re-bidding.
Bruno said he will keep the Township Manager posted on the status of
preparing the bids and he would bring it to the next Tuesday night meeting for
approval to advertise.
5. AUDITOR
RESOLUTION
INFORMATION
The Board needs to approve/disapprove appointing Palmer and
Company as the township auditor for the 2006 records.
DICUSSION
On motion by Mitchell,
seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the auditor
resolution.
6. TRAFFIC
SIGNAL RESOLUTION
INFORMATION
The
Board needs to approve/disapprove the traffic signal resolution for
DISCUSSION
On motion by Panella, seconded by Smith,
and agreed by all, the Board approved the traffic signal resolution.
7. PUBLIC
COMMENT
Robert
Gumlock,
8. REPORTS
Solicitor
· Bruno had an extension agreement for the Villages of Mill Race, Phase 3, requesting an extension of time until June 30, 2007 to complete public improvements. On motion by Mitchell, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the board approved the extension request.
· Bruno had a request from the Crossroad of Nazareth LLC, for the office building on Route 248, requesting a 90-day extension of time. On motion by Smith, seconded by Panella, and agreed by all, the Board approved the extension request.
·
Bruno had a mutual aid agreement for the public
works department between the City of
Township
Manager
· Anckaitis said he received a response from Conrad Siegel regarding the amount of the MMO increase due to the annual cost of living increase for retirees. Anckaitis said the amount is $3,900. Anckaitis said the second portion of the letter covers the cost impact for increasing the service increment to the maximum amount permitted by Act 89 for police retirees. Anckaitis said currently the plan allows a maximum increase of $100 per month and Act 89 allows the maximum service increment to increase to $500 per month. Anckaitis said the impact to the MMO for this change would be $22,500. Anckaitis said he will supply a copy of the letter to the Board and place it on next weeks agenda.
· One personnel item for executive session.
On motion by Panella, seconded by Smith, and agreed by all, the meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. with one personnel item for executive session.
Respectfully submitted,
Robert G. Anckaitis
Township Manager