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Kensington Selectmen award trash and recycling contract to ELM Services for $150,000
Summary
The Kensington Board of Selectmen unanimously approved a first-year contract worth $150,000 with ELM Services, Inc. to provide trash collection and biweekly recycling pickup, and encouraged diversion of corrugated cardboard to town dumpsters to lower disposal costs.
Kensington — The Kensington Board of Selectmen on Thursday awarded the town’s trash and recycling collection contract to ELM Services, Inc., approving a first-year total of $150,000 that adopts biweekly recycling pickup and encourages residents to use town-provided dumpsters for corrugated cardboard.
The decision came after the board reviewed competing annual bid totals and operational details. Selectman Sara Hamilton moved to award the contract; Chairman Bob Solomon seconded. The motion passed unanimously, 2-0. Board members said ELM’s proposal offered cost savings compared with competing bids and aligned with the town’s service needs.
During a question-and-answer exchange, board members asked whether the contractor would supply recycling carts and whether curbside recycling would continue; the vendor confirmed both. Town staff noted that disposal rates are not included in the collection totals and therefore could affect final costs.
Jim Ziolkowski, owner of ELM Services, told the board that diverting corrugated cardboard to on-site dumpsters near Town Hall could reduce recycling disposal tonnage to about 120 tons from roughly 220 tons and could lower recycling disposal costs by approximately 45 percent. The board discussed that estimated savings when weighing the bids.
The board’s packet showed higher competing totals from other vendors; board members characterized ELM’s $150,000 proposal as the lower-cost option. The contract as approved includes biweekly recycling pickup, resident-choice containers, and placement of town dumpsters for cardboard; disposal fees for collected materials were described as additional and not included in the stated collection totals.
The board postponed approval of minutes from Dec. 1 and Dec. 15, 2025, to its next regular meeting. Officials also announced a series of upcoming public hearings, including a Library Bond hearing on Jan. 12 and a Town Budget hearing on Jan. 14. The meeting adjourned at 10:05 a.m.
