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Resident urges food-waste recycling as council tables Murphy Road Recycling contract
Summary
A member of Middletown's Sanitary District Disposal Commission urged the council to restore food-waste organics recycling; the proposed three-year contract with Murphy Road Recycling LLC for municipal solid waste, quoted at $115 per ton, was tabled for further information.
During the council's public-hearing segment on Feb. 2, 2026, Jennifer Kleinbeast (speaker 14) of 241 West Street and a member of the Sanitary District Disposal Commission urged the council to prioritize food-waste organics recycling and expressed frustration that the sanitation commission's recommendations had been split between proposals during internal deliberations.
Kleinbeast said the commission had voted to include contracts both for Murphy Road Recycling and for organics recycling (Quantum Organics in Southington), but that the two items were separated in the city process. "As a member of the sanitation commission ... I've just been growing increasingly frustrated with the process," she told the council. She urged the city to make food-waste separation "easy and straightforward" and to provide resources to make diversion affordable for residents.
Later in the meeting council members considered Resolution 13-L authorizing the mayor to execute a contract with Murphy Road Recycling LLC for municipal solid-waste receipt at a rate of $115 per ton for three years. Several council members expressed the need for additional information and the council voted to table the Murphy Road item so staff can resolve outstanding questions.
The council's public record shows the contract language and rate were presented but not finalized; proponents and some council members said more details were needed before full execution. The Murphy Road item will return to a future meeting with follow-up information.
