New London board directs staff to seek bids for citywide garbage collection without opt-out

At its Jan. 6 meeting, the New London Board of Public Works voted to direct city staff to run a formal competitive bidding process for a citywide garbage-collection contract that would not include an opt-out option for households.

The decision followed a presentation of a city survey and more than an hour of public comment and board discussion about costs, administrative burden and resident choice. The motion, made by Mr. Ritchie and seconded by Mr. Herder, passed 6-4.

The vote came after city staff told the board the survey received 285 responses. “Out of those 285, 91.9 or 92% say they currently pay a contractor to pick up the garbage at the curb,” said Robert Garski, the staff member who presented the survey results to the board. He said 76.1% of respondents said the city…