Waste Management wins pact extension, accolades from Delray board

Published July 3rd, 2008

By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR

In addition to getting a five-year extension of its contract, Waste Management Inc. of Florida collected heaps of praise from the Delray Beach City Commission at its meeting Tuesday night.

“The staff is satisfied, and it’s a good deal for residents,” Commissioner Fred Fetzer said of the firm’s service.  And Commissioner Woodie McDuffie said, “I haven’t found one person who’s not satisfied.”

“I found one – or, rather, he found me,” joked Mayor Rita Ellis.  But she added, seriously, that the board “is very satisfied with the company.”

The extension means Waste Management Inc. will continue collecting trash in the city through Sept. 30, 2013. 

Lula Butler, director of community improvement, explained that the city contracted with BFI Waste Systems of North America in 2001 to collect solid waste and recycled material. 

In 2003, she said, the commission reassigned the pact to Waste Management.  The contract was expanded in 2006 to expand the collection of curbside residential vegetative waste to six days a week and to provide for the collection of waste from public transportation shelter receptacles.

The measure approved by the commission this week not only extends the pact five years, Butler said, but also provides for a fuel surcharge and allows for rate changes based on the Consumer Price Index. 

Other Business

In other business, the commission awarded a contract to H.J. Heisenbottle architects and consultants to resurvey four of the city’s locally designated historic districts: Del-Ida, Nassau Park, Old School Square and West Settlers.

The roots of the resurvey trace back to the lengthy effort to draft new land use designations for the five historic areas of the city.  When the matter was finally resolved earlier this year, city commissioners and City Manager Dave Harden all agreed that a resurvey of all historic districts was needed.

The city chose Heisenbottle from among six bidders for the project.  The price was the second lowest at $34,660, said Planning & Zoning Director Paul Dorling.

Following the submittal deadline, he said, an evaluation committee was formed to narrow the field to two candidates “based on total scores, highest overall rankings and the amount of number 1 rankings.”

Dorling noted that the city applied for a $25,000 grant from the Florida Department of Historical Records to help cover the work.  The city didn’t get it, he told commissioners.  But he said there is sufficient money in the city budget to cover the cost.