Stewart said that Ashland County Solid Waste District Coordinator Dan Scott told him on May 21, 2009 that the center would accept all recyclable materials except glass.
Despite Scott’s verbal pledge to continue recycling most materials, Stewart has supported the termination of the city’s contract with the county center because he felt it made the most sense financially. The city pays $28,800 to the center per annum for recycling services, a cost Stewart said he thought, based on early estimates, could decrease if the city contracted with another provider.
They’re struggling. They’re struggling big time. The sale of the recyclables was a huge part of their operating budget, Stewart said about the county center. I’m not intending to put the county out of business. That’s not my goal.
Stewart said that he considered it his duty to the city to contract with the company that would complete the job the most professionally for the least cost.
I think our concern, too, is what their concern is and that has to do with finance, Councilman Bob Valentine Sr., 1st Ward, said. Valentine said he wants to be careful not to jeopardize the city’s good relationship with the county.
The County Commissioner Kim Edwards said that the most important thing is that residents would still have the opportunity to recycle.
I don’t fault the city for trying to find a better method or a less expensive method for their recycling, Edwards said. I believe that if they go out to bid, if we have the opportunity to bid on their recycling, we can be just as competitive as anyone else.
If the city plans to bid for a new recycling provider, the local recycling center will have the option to submit a bid, Stewart said.
Councilwoman Ruth Detrow, 3rd Ward, said the termination was because the existing agreement was broken by the company.
I think this is just simply good business to make official the fact that the contract has been terminated, Detrow said.
In the past, the city has entered into two-year contracts with the county center and was, until Friday, in a contract that would expire at the end of the year.
