The Mayor and Council just signed an addendum to the "Contract" with Local Waste Services for you stating that "
The Village has officially announced the shifting of trash collection costs to the residents. There is a postcard that I just received (today is March 26), indicating that the week of April 1 Local Waste Services will be sending us a bill. Happy Easter.
There is a FAQ document on the Village Website: http://www.minervapark.org/recycling/FAQ_1.pdf
Their justification for "requiring" residents to stay with Local Waste:
"Can I decide to go with another company?
At this time we are staying with one company, Local Waste Services, for the following reasons:
a. The Village is still under contract with Local Waste Services and will be through August 2013.
b. The cost per household under that contract is one of the lowest (if not THE lowest) in Central
Ohio for trash pick-up that includes recycling and yard waste collection.
c. The Village has worked very hard during the past years to repave all the Village roads. Trash collection vehicles are quite hard on roads because of the weight of the truck and the constant stopping and starting. Having one company collect trash significantly reduces the wear and tear to the streets and controls noise from trash collection vehicles. For example, Local Waste Services has two different trucks come through the Village on one day to collect all trash. If each homeowner could independently contract for trash pick-up, we could have up to eight trucks (1-3 trucks from 3-4 different companies) coming through the Village Monday through Friday, and trash cans could be sitting in front of homes here throughout the week. Fewer trucks on one day
is better for street maintenance and noise reduction. And, again, the fee per household with Local Waste is one of the lowest in Central Ohio."
Now, the Village is under contract with Local Waste Services. Not the residents. Or so it was.
The Mayor and Council decided to pass an addendum to the contract stating the above:
"Village and Contractor agree that RESIDENTS will pay CONTRACTOR (Local Waste) at the rate of $14.66 per unit, per month, for the 563 houses being serviced for a quarterly payment of $43.98 for the remaining three year term of the contract.
CONTRACTOR will bill the RESIDENTS of Minerva Park directly for its services."
How can this possibly be legal? The "Village" just signed a contract between the trash collection provider and each individual land owner of the 563 houses being serviced.
That also bears the question of: what if you don't have trash collected? What if the house is vacant (as many in Minerva Park currently are...more on that later)?
Regardless of the cost per quarter or being "cheapest in town" I find this repulsive and do not see how there is legal standing for this.
If anyone can please provide me with legal documentation as to how this is legal, I'd really appreciate it.
there are alternatives, but we were never afforded one OR even the notice that this was in question until after it was already passed by council.
Typical ways of doing things in Minerva Park.
They are running out of money; but the Mayor makes $27K/year for a job that was previously done for less than half that.
She now has full benefits.
She also has an assistant, who makes $18/hour doing her job essentially for her.
HOW can the residents sit by and let this happen??? Because they don't KNOW about it, much like the magicians in the community building want it to be.
