Hamden council authorizes town manager to pursue waste contract with Municipal Waste Solutions over objections

The Hamden Town Council voted 4–2 on July 20 to authorize the town manager to enter into a waste-disposal agreement with Municipal Waste Solutions that would have the vendor purchase two compactors and provide hauling and disposal services for the town.

Town Manager Paula said the authorization before council was limited: "the only part that we are discussing tonight is your approval to enter into an agreement with Municipal Waste Solutions to provide 2 compactors for the town of Hamden...and for them to do hauling for us and disposal for us at a lesser cost." She and other staff emphasized that additional commercial details discussed in executive session remain confidential and were not part of the public motion.

Some councilors said the motion lacked important financial specifics. One councilor (S10) questioned blank fields in the proposal and the diesel surcharge, saying, "There's no amount in there...and the amount that the town is gonna receive for overages from other towns is blank" and noting diesel prices as a concern. Councilor Jarvey (S3), who chaired the earlier confidential workshop, said the limited public motion was driven by time sensitivity and statutory confidentiality around economic development discussions.

Chair and other supporters argued the vote simply authorized staff to finalize two specific items and continued negotiation on remaining terms. The final roll call returned four votes in favor and two opposed; one council seat was absent. Councilors who voted no asked that future public materials include clearer dollar figures and surcharge language.

Next steps: the authorization allows the manager to pursue the agreement and finish negotiations; the council did not adopt final contract terms in public on July 20, and any finalized contract is expected to be made public when appropriate.