Longmeadow talks trash (contract) with neighboring East Longmeadow

Date: 1/25/2010

Jan. 25, 2010



By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



LONGMEADOW -- The towns of Longmeadow and East Longmeadow have been talking trash. Specifically, they've been discussing the most cost effective way to find a contractor for joint trash removal.

"The last time we did this [spoke about the consolidation of trash removal services] it was the first time we did something regional like this," Jim Driscoll, chair of the East Longmeadow Board of Health, said. "We were thinking, how do we make a small town like ours more attractive to [trash removal] businesses?"

That last time was five years ago, and the current contract with Central Mass Disposal will expire at the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

Select Board member Mark Gold is also a member of the trash contract task force and he told Reminder Publications how the process has been going.

"The task force represents a joint effort between Longmeadow and East Longmeadow in preparing a request for proposal, or RFP, for each town individually but it would be one contract," Gold explained. He said this helps save contractors money during the bidding process.

The 65-page RFP will be posted for contractors on Jan. 25. All those interested in providing trash pick up and hauling services will meet at the East Longmeadow Fire Department's meeting room on Feb. 2 for more information.

"I believe we're going to have a number of interested parties," Gold said.

He noted that contracts for trash hauling are exempt from Chapter 30B of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Uniform Procurement Act, which allows the two towns more flexibility when it comes to deciding which business will win the contract.

"Exemption from 30B allows us to get the bids in and then the town have the right to negotiate further," Gold explained. "It's not just necessarily going with the lowest bidder."

Bids are due by Feb. 23.

"We certainly got a better deal with the two communities working together," Driscoll said.

In East Longmeadow, the partnership has saved the town $1 million over the past years, and a similar amount has been saved in Longmeadow.

Both the Longmeadow Select Board and the East Longmeadow Board of Selectmen must agree on the winner of the contract.