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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

March City Commission Meeting: City splits Waste Removal into two agenda items. Passes new ordinances governing said 5-0. Hauler(s) to be determined in November advisory vote.

City Manager Cravens stated  that the Ballot language for the advisory vote for specific a Waste Hauler (s) will be presented at the April  8th City Commission meeting. 


He explained that after  an extensive review of bids  the City will choose a single waste hauler.That choice will be on the ballot and residents will vote either yes or no on the City's selection. A yes vote victory would make the City's choice the sole hauler for the City. A no vote triumph could maintain the multi hauler system now in place, should the City choose to follow the recommendations of the residents advisory vote.

As yet to be determined is a possible third alternative which would allow residents to opt out of the City selected hauler and hire one on their own if they so desired.  This option will be considered at the April meeting. The ability of a resident to hire a separate hauler in  a City as small as Bloomfield Hills has been questioned in the past. 

The election scheme  and new the trash hauling ordinances were passed with minor changes by a unanimous vote of  City Commissioners.There  was some discussion of an expanded public input. Commissioners  Coakley and Sherr asked and advocated bringing the public into the conversation. City Cravens said the election was to the sole sole extent of  public input. The silence of Commissioners Dull, McClure, and Mayor Hardy was tacit approval  and gave the non-voting, non-resident, City Manager the authority to make such decisions.

To some the waste hauling ordinances and the selection of Waste Hauler(s) actual waste haulers were overlapping issues. The City Manager preferred and in one case  insisted they  be discussed separately. Commissioner  Coakley persisted however in establishing  Jan 1 2015 as effective date for implementing the ordinances. The purpose of that was spare waste haulers the need for expensive purchases or vehicle modification prior to a decision being made on which company or companies would be utilized by the city.



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