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Mount Airy awards three-year sludge-hauling contract to local contractor TEM at $185 per ton
Summary
The council awarded the town’s sludge-hauling contract to TEM for $185 per ton and authorized a contract expected to cover three years with renewal options; staff said only one bid was submitted and that the town will budget roughly $240,000 annually based on current volumes.
The Mount Airy Town Council approved a recommendation to award the sludge-hauling contract to TEM at $185 per ton on Feb. 3, 2025. Town staff told the council the contract sets service for an initial three-year term with options to extend to six or nine years.
Barney Quinn, who presented the recommendation, said only one bidder returned a proposal; TEM is the town’s current provider and staff recommended extending the contract based on service reliability. Quinn said TEM has committed to on-call response within four hours and that the town had experienced service interruptions with previous contractors in the prior year.
Council members asked staff for scale and cost context. Staff said the town hauls roughly 1,300 tons per year; at $185 per ton that equates to about $240,000 annually. The contract includes an annual CPI-based adjustment provision rather than a flat guaranteed rate across the three-year initial term.
Council members voted to award the contract on a voice vote. Staff said the contract is necessary to avoid treatment-plant backups and the higher downstream costs the town incurred when haulers did not remove material promptly in the prior year.
The council recorded that it had attempted outreach to other contractors and that interest had been limited; TEM’s local presence and four-hour response commitment were key factors in the staff recommendation.
The council’s motion to award the contract passed on a voice vote.
