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Souderton council tables decision on sludge disposal after single bid from Mascaro
Summary
With a single bidder for sludge disposal, JP Mascaro & Sons, councilors debated a three‑year base bid with option years versus a locked five‑year contract and tabled the award for further discussion; the difference averages about $15,000 per year in the borough’s favor for a longer term.
Souderton Borough Council on June 2 heard argument over how long to lock in a contract for wastewater sludge disposal after bids opened with a single bidder, JP Mascaro & Sons.
Solicitor (introducing the item) told the council bids were opened Friday and that JP Mascaro & Sons submitted a base three‑year offer with optional extension years. Al de Janeiro, deputy general counsel for the company, urged the borough to consider awarding a five‑year contract to secure long‑term pricing, saying, "it may be in your best interest to lock in with a 5 year price." He noted disposal capacity is tight statewide and that industry costs have risen since the COVID market reset.
Borough officials and staff discussed tradeoffs. The three‑year base bid was described in the meeting as approximately $648,000 total (about $216,000 per year); a five‑year award as presented totaled about $1,150,000 (about $230,000 per year), making the average difference roughly $15,000 per year in favor of the longer term. Manager Sarah cautioned against locking the borough into a longer term given ongoing changes in wastewater technology and the potential for different disposal approaches in the next few years, saying she "hesitate[d] to lock it for 5 years knowing that there are potentially options for us to do something different."
Council members also raised procurement and budget considerations. The solicitor noted the borough has 60 days to award a contract and discussed procedural options for accepting the bid or postponing final award decisions. With multiple council members urging more time to digest the option language and clarify exact exercise dates for the contract options, the council opted to table the award and address the matter at an upcoming work session in two to three weeks.
The council did not adopt a final contract or amendment at the meeting. Officials said they would return with clarified option‑exercise dates, exact contract language, and, if appropriate, additional information on long‑term cost risk and technology developments before making a formal award.
What’s next: The council scheduled further deliberation at a work session in the coming weeks; the borough retains its 60‑day window to make an award or re‑advertise if it chooses not to proceed.
