Commission approves environmental consulting and waste contracts, authorizes events calendar; purchases and appointments approved

The Mount Clemens City Commission approved several consent and business items including environmental consulting, refuse and disposal contracts, an events calendar, purchases and committee appointments.

Environmental consulting: The commission approved a calendar-year 2015 agreement with AKT Peerless Environmental and Energy Services to continue methane monitoring and reporting at the former Mount Clemens landfill. City legal counsel (Dickinson Wright) advised that continuity of the consultant was necessary at this stage of monitoring and that soliciting new environmental consulting proposals now would not produce a competitive advantage.

Residential refuse contract extension: The commission voted to extend the city’s residential refuse collection contract with Rizzo Environmental Services for three additional years effective June 6, 2015 through June 5, 2018. Commissioners debated whether the contract should require automated carts (cans) rather than bag collection and asked staff to return with pricing options; Rizzo staff said carts and automated collection are more expensive and carts cost in the transcript were described in the $90-per-cart range, while staff emphasized maintaining low resident costs under the extension.

Waste disposal services: The commission authorized adding waste disposal services to the current contract with Rizzo at a fixed $16 per ton over three years; staff noted the city currently pays $24 per ton plus a 36¢ per ton state fee to the incumbent provider. Because the charter permits bypassing sealed bids when the city administrator determines no competitive advantage would arise, the commission approved a unanimous resolution to add disposal services to the Rizzo contract.

Events, purchases and appointments: The commission authorized the 2015 Downtown Development Authority calendar of events (including temporary street closures as listed), approved purchases and invoices as presented, and approved reappointments/committee appointments as proposed.

Votes and next steps: Several motions passed by roll call; where commissioners expressed policy concerns (refuse carts vs bag collection, or the length of the refuse term), staff was directed to return with additional pricing or options for implementation before contract execution.