Baltimore Village council votes to move trash service to Local Waste; emergency legislation to follow
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Summary
After a heated exchange about procurement and bids, council voted to accept Local Waste as the village trash provider and instructed the solicitor to prepare an ordinance with emergency language ahead of the current contractexpiration.
Baltimore Village council members voted to accept a proposal from Local Waste to provide municipal trash collection and directed the solicitor to prepare ordinance language, including emergency provisions, for the next meeting.
The decision came after public comment urging a timely choice and a lengthy council discussion about procurement. A Local Waste representative said the service would save residents roughly $1.29 per month on the household base plan and about $2.29 per month for households with additional service, and noted the company operates diesel collection trucks out of Circleville. "You would save your residents a dollar and 29cents a month," the representative said, explaining the comparison included fuel-surcharge changes.
Council members said the selection process had flaws. One council member acknowledged the committeefailed to require sealed bids and said, "I take responsibility for not having sealed bids." Others said time constraints and public timelines left the council little choice but to act that night.
After discussion, the council took a roll-call-style vote and moved to accept Local Waste. Because the current contract is nearing expiration, the solicitor will draft legislation for the next council meeting and include emergency language to allow the contract to take effect if necessary.
The council debate touched on both cost and service: supporters emphasized savings and added services such as vehicle cameras and local hiring; critics said the bidding process should have been sealed to avoid an auction-like scenario. The solicitor said the acceptance will require an ordinance and he will prepare it for the next meeting, adding emergency language tied to the contract expiration.
Next steps: the solicitor will draft the ordinance and bring it to the next council meeting for consideration; council members noted that if the vote count remains split a mayoral tie-break could be decisive.