Yorktown Hopeful Garbage Pickup Will Continue to Improve
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Yorktown officials are hopeful trash collection will improve now that the town’s garbage hauler is under new management.
Despite being optimistic with the leadership change at Competitive Carting, the town board is still looking to protect its interests. Last week, the board agreed to spend up to $5,000 to retain an attorney to oversee the conditions contained in its five-year contract with the carting company.
Supervisor Tom Diana described the legal services of Steven Kassarda as a moderator between town attorney Adam Rodriguez and the Solid Waste Commission.
“I want to make sure we don’t end up with a problem like this again,” Diana said. “It’s aggravating, it’s frustrating. One way or another we’re going to make it right.”
A few weeks ago, the board announced it was searching for a new trash company after Competitive Carting, which began serving the town on January 1, failed to collect refuse throughout the town during the first week of July.
The town fined Competitive Carting $59,500. Since then, additional fines totaling $96,000 were levied for 64 infractions.
In late 2022, the town board sided with Competitive Carting after AAA Carting and Rubbish Removal proposed a $1.75 million increase.
Under the current pact with Competitive Carting, the town is paying $3.5 million in 2023, with an escalating rate rising to $4 million in 2027. For the previous five years, Yorktown only paid $2 million annually to AAA Carting, which submitted a losing bid of $3.75 million.
Diana said the town received no complaints from residents last week.
“Right now they seem to be on track or at least on par,” Diana remarked. “The notion that we’re not doing anything is just a notion. I’m not going to take any nonsense from the garbage contractor.”
After being replaced, AAA Carting and Rubbish Removal launched an Article 78 proceeding Feb. 1 against the Town Board and Competitive Carting. The main thrust of the lawsuit is Yorktown officials allegedly violated New York’s competitive bidding statutes by rejecting AAA as the lowest and only responsible bidder and issuing a contract to Competitive Carting that allegedly was “materially different” than what was put out to bid.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/