Mayor Tony George is looking into potential savings that privatizing garbage and recyclable collection could present for the city, as contract negotiations with the union representing city refuse collection employees continue.
The city on Friday advertised in The Citizens鈥� Voice for proposals from private trash haulers, who will have until 10 a.m. Dec. 18 to submit them. The proposals will be opened and read aloud publicly at 10:30 a.m. that same day in council chambers at City Hall.
City Administrator Ted Wampole said a study of the city鈥檚 waste collection was one of the recommendations made by PFM, the financial consultant that put together the city鈥檚 early-intervention plan.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at what the cost would be,鈥� he said.
Wampole said the mayor is not considering privatization at this point, 鈥渂ut we owe it to the residents of the City of Wilkes-Barre to find out if privatization would benefit them.鈥�
Wampole said cost savings alone 鈥渨ould never be the determining factor鈥� in a decision to switch to private trash and recyclable collection. 鈥淭he type of service you get is a big part of that,鈥� he said.
Teamsters Local 401 representatives did not return a message seeking comment, and the union spokesman was out of state and unavailable for comment.
The city鈥檚 request for proposals will be available at the city clerk鈥檚 office and on the city website beginning Dec. 5.
Included in it is a request for proposals for emergency trash collection as well, Wampole said, 鈥渂ecause if we ever get into a situation where we would need it, we鈥檇 like it to be available.鈥�
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