The Quiet Business of Keeping Newville Clean: A Fresh Look at Waste Collection

You know, there’s a certain rhythm to life in a small town, a quiet hum of essential services running smoothly in the background. But even those seemingly mundane rhythms need orchestrating, and right now, Newville Borough is in the thick of it, putting out the call for new partners to manage our community’s trash and recycling. Honestly, it's a bigger undertaking than you might initially think.

It’s not just about tossing a bin to the curb, is it? No, not really. This is about securing the future of waste management for every home in Newville, a process that, in truth, takes a fair bit of planning and foresight. Our current agreement with Waste Management? Well, that particular chapter closes on December 31, 2024. And so, the Borough Council recently gave the green light, deciding to seek out fresh bids for a brand-new contract.

What exactly are they looking for? The preference, it seems, is for a solid three-year commitment, with the potential for two additional one-year renewal options woven in. This approach, you could say, offers both stability and a touch of flexibility, which in today’s world, is often a good thing for everyone involved.

The existing setup, the one we’ve all grown accustomed to, includes that handy curbside collection: one 95-gallon cart for your everyday refuse and a slightly smaller, 65-gallon cart for recycling. And, yes, it’s all single-stream, thank goodness – makes life just a little bit easier, doesn't it? These collections happen weekly, keeping our streets tidy and our homes clear.

But wait, there's more. The new bid isn't just about regular weekly pickups. They’re also asking potential contractors to factor in options for those trickier, bulkier items – think white goods, mattresses, even electronics. These are, naturally, extra-cost services, but crucial ones that residents occasionally need. Bidders, then, must propose a single annual rate for all residential services, alongside an hourly rate for these special collections.

And then, of course, there's the perennial question of yard waste. Ah, the autumn leaves, the spring cuttings – they all need somewhere to go, don't they? The borough is inviting proposals for curbside yard waste collection, offering a few distinct flavors for consideration:

• Quarterly collection, with no limit on the amount.
• Quarterly collection, but with a 10-bag limit per pickup.
• Monthly collection, also capped at 10 bags per visit.

It’ll be interesting to see which option, or combination of options, ultimately makes the most sense for our community and, importantly, our budget. Speaking of budgets, the council also gave its nod to the 2024 budget during a recent meeting, thankfully, with no tax increase in sight for Newville residents. Always good news, that.

Other bits of business from the council meeting included an update on a new generator, a crucial piece of equipment earmarked for the sewer pump station, coming in at a cost of $29,678. And a resident’s request for an easement? That, for now, has been tabled. But back to our bins – the Borough, by the way, provides those essential trash and recycling carts to residents, a nice touch, I think.

So, what’s next for this whole waste management saga? Newville will be poring over these bids at their upcoming August meeting. It's a significant decision, one that impacts every household, ensuring our community remains as clean and vibrant as we all want it to be. Fingers crossed for a great outcome!