London City Council hears public opposition to outsourcing sanitation, leaves related legislation for more review

Council members on the London City Council introduced three sanitation-related items a resolution authorizing the safety service director to advertise for sanitation department bids, a resolution to advertise for trash-hauling bids, and an ordinance to adjust sanitation rates but took no final votes after lengthy public comment and requests for more information.

During the public-comment period resident Doug Piles urged the council not to "give up" city services, criticized previous transfers of water and sewer assets to Mid Ohio Water and Sewer District (which he said included city assets plus $6,200,000 in cash), and warned that contracting out sanitation would reduce local control and service quality. "You have no control when you give it up to somebody else," Piles said, calling past decisions "not work[ing] out well." He asked council to consider impacts on property owners and questioned whether trustees representing the city had advocated effectively at Mid Ohio meetings.

Another resident, Jim Boyd, addressed the three legislative items directly and urged the…