New Britain council authorizes RFP for borough trash service starting Jan. 1, 2027

The New Britain Borough Council voted on May 13 to authorize borough staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for trash collection services commencing Jan. 1, 2027. Council members asked questions about service levels, billing and how fuel-cost escalation clauses would affect residents.

John, the borough manager, reviewed the draft RFP, saying the packet contains the contract specifications, proposal forms and an assumed count of 611 residential units for bidding purposes. The RFP sets base service to include a 96‑gallon trash container and a 96‑gallon recycling container, with an option for an additional 96‑gallon trash container at some residences and a larger yard‑waste tote (180 gallons) as an option. The base bid will require bulk collection according to the contractor’s schedule, and staff included an alternate price for a monthly bulk pick‑up allowing two permitted bulk items per unit.

Council members pressed staff on billing logistics. John said the borough performs bulk billing now (the borough bills residents, the borough pays the hauler) and that requiring the hauler to bill individually would likely raise contractor prices because haulers charge for customer billing. The discussion also covered senior‑discount arrangements; the borough manager said borough‑side billing makes a hauler‑delivered senior discount impractical unless the hauler handled individual billing.

The RFP includes an escalation mechanism tied to fuel costs so contractors may seek price adjustments when diesel rises sharply; staff noted that escalation clauses are standard practice in construction and hauling contracts. Councilmembers cautioned that escalation formulas rarely reduce prices when fuel costs fall.

Council discussed service complaints and operational details. Staff said missed pickups are infrequent and that haulers typically return to correct missed stops; GPS tracking on trucks is available from major haulers and has been used to confirm route coverage when problems arose. Members also discussed whether to require replacement carts, where contractors should place carts after emptying and how to account for properties that may be billed through other mechanisms (HOAs, businesses).

After discussion, the council voted to authorize borough staff (Mike) to put the RFP out to bid. The packet and timeline will be revised to remove a Memorial Day pre‑bid meeting (to be rescheduled) and to remove an outdated statistic about the share of households that have two 96‑gallon cans.