By the Press of Atlantic City
VINELAND — The city and the Atlantic County Utilities Authority have reached a new 17-month agreement for trash and recycling collection services set to take effect Aug. 1 and run through the end of 2023, the city said Tuesday night.
Under the agreement, residents will see their monthly solid waste fee remain $24 per month. However, trash collection will be reduced from twice to once weekly, the city said in a news release. To compensate for the lost trash collection day, residents will be able to request a second 96-gallon trash cart at no additional cost.
The interim agreement will give city officials time to explore long-term options, the city said. City Council voted to introduce the agreement Tuesday.
Vineland will pay the ACUA $194,671.67 per month for trash and recycling collections, according to the agreement.
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It also will pay for all tipping fees charged by the Cumberland County Improvement Authority and is subject to increase based on the number of residences receiving services, according to the agreement.
Additionally, the city will be given a credit for missed trash and recycling collections and their associated costs.
“Two government agencies worked out what should have been worked out months ago,” ACUA President Rick Dovey said.
The authority has been plagued by staffing shortages amid a tight labor market, something Dovey said is a widespread trend.
The labor issues have caused the ACUA to struggle to provide timely trash, recycling and yard-waste pick-up in the municipalities it serves. Vineland, one of three Cumberland County towns for which the ACUA holds collection contracts, was withholding payment from the ACUA for months, citing inconsistent service.
The ACUA chose to terminate its waste-collection contract with the city in March.
Prior to negotiating the new agreement, the city had issued a request for proposal for trash collection and recycling services. Although other companies expressed interest in working with the city, they would have needed to scale up their operations, which required a longer lead time than was available to purchase new equipment, the city said.
“There is no doubt that the ACUA’s aggressive growth plan, coupled with pandemic-driven labor market shortages, led to their collection issues in Vineland,” Mayor Anthony Fanucci said. “Additionally, inflationary pressures on fuel, along with supply shortages, made it impossible for the ACUA to provide future services to the city at the current contract levels. This interim agreement makes fiscal sense for both parties in the short term.”
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