Recycling Program Awaits New Bids

The City Council will delay starting a pilot recycling program at City Hall and the Police Department until other recycling companies in the city are contacted.

Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis asked that a proposed contract with The Shred Co. of Costa Mesa be postponed until it is determined whether other recycling companies can give the city a better deal.

“We could end up with a good deal where we could have a clear profit,” Genis said.

The council had agreed May 21 to pay the company to haul away an estimated two tons of garbage generated weekly at the two sites. The company would then sell the recycled goods at market rates and reimburse that amount to the city.

The agreement would have set aside $5,000 to pay the company over a six-month period; however, city staff believed the program would eventually pay for itself.

In an informal survey of her own, Genis contacted four other companies and found that most of them would not charge the city an initial fee. The council will accept proposals from the recyclers to determine whether they can provide the same or better services at a competitive rate.

The two departments will recycle newspapers, computer and ledger paper, and aluminum cans.