Should Montclair Privatize Garbage/Recycling Pickup?

On Tuesday night, the Millburn Township Committee the privatization of garbage and recycling pickup, potentially saving that township millions over the next five years.

Indeed, the committee awarded a $2-million 3-year contract to the Giordano Company of Newark following the presentation of a report that said the move would save about $800,000 the first year and possibly as much as $4.5 million in the next five years.

Public Works employees who currently work in garbage collection will start working with the roads division and the township will reduce the number of trucks it has from 10 to five, using those for leaf collection.

The privatization of garbage and recycling also has been discussed in Montclair as a way to control spending. Exploration of the idea was suggested by the Operating Budget Advisory Committee in the spring and also was proposed by the Concerned Citizens of Montclair grassroots group.

According to the latter, studies have shown that outsourcing can provide significant savings for towns and cities—while often providing better customer service. A number of studies seem to suggest a 30% reduction in total costs for privatized functions, CCM said.

Although Montclair Patch has yet to reach Township Manager Marc Dashield about the status of this issue, Montclair Township Council members say it's their understanding that an RFP for sanitation options is being prepared and that it most likely will go out in January.

Councilor Rich Murnick said Wednesday that one reason he voted against a bond ordinance at a council meeting Tuesday night was because it included money for new packers.

"Why spend when we might not need to?" he asked.

Councilor Cary Africk said that township officials have been promising for some time to produce a study of outsourcing for Montclair.

"This promise was made quite some time ago," he said. "I do expect that we will eventually have that study done. It may show increased services at a lower cost. It might not.

"The bottom line is that most of the council members just don't want to outsource, regardless of what any study would say," Africk continued. "And neither does the administration. Without doing a study they already envision problems with the provision of outside organizations doing the work."

But many other towns already have privatized their trash collection services, including South Orange and Maplewood.

Morristown decided last spring to outsource their garbage and recycling pickup. After receiving six bids, the town chose Blue Diamond Disposal, which came in with a bid of $474,000 per year for five years. As a result, Morristown expects to save $750,000 in salaries, benefits, fuel, and equipment maintenance costs.

For a look at a report on current and alternative refuse collection services — and the pros and cons of outsourcing — that was presented to the Montclair Township Council by Director of Community Services Stephen Wood in November 2010, click here.

Let us hear from you in the comments section below. What do you think of the idea of privatizing garbage and recycling in Montclair?