He also said the city will move to narrow Washington and Jefferson boulevards downtown.NEW HAVEN – Beginning in January, New Haven residents can opt for a smaller garbage can or recycling bin and still spend less on garbage collection than they do now.
With little discussion, the New Haven Board of Works awarded a three-year contract to National Serv-All for curbside garbage and recycling pickup.
Serv-All was deemed the lowest and most responsive bidder – undercutting the second-lowest bidder Earth First by almost $2 per home per month.
Earth First and Waste Management, which also submitted a bid, did not provide required insurance documentation, City Attorney David Van Gilder said.
Serv-All will keep the public informed about the benefits of recycling and recycling options two times a year, Van Gilder said.
The city included an educational component in its bid requirements and also asked the new provider to offer a smaller trash cart for residents who can’t physically handle a larger one, or who create less waste.
New Haven’s bid requirements were based on a committee that gathered input from residents and neighborhood associations throughout the year.
Under the new contract, residents who use the standard 95-gallon cart will pay $7.49 per month for solid waste collection. Residents can choose a 65-gallon cart for $7.24 per home per month.
Standard fees will increase to $7.68 and $7.87 for the second and third years of service.
Optional recycling will add $3.50 per home per month to bills. If 30 percent of the city’s 5,500 garbage customers opt for recycling, that fee would drop to $1.75 per home per month.
Even with recycling, residents will pay less than the current monthly rate of $11.70. Current hauler Waste Management offered that same rate again in its bid to keep a contract with New Haven.
“I think everybody is going to be very happy,” Mayor Terry McDonald said.
The contract begins in January, and Serv-All will handle billing for the city. Officials have not yet determined how residents will sign up for the recycling or the smaller cart size, McDonald said.
Serv-All negotiated an extension to its contract with Fort Wayne, keeping its rate flat next year. Fort Wayne plans to competitively bid its garbage contract next year.
