Brick-Point Trash Deal Looks Dead; Brick May Still Buy Trucks

A potential deal for Point Borough to hire Brick to pick up garbage and recycling is likely trashed, since the borough voted Tuesday night against a measure to borrow money for robo-cans that Brick needs to do the job.

Point's Democrats have said hiring Brick will save about $1.6 million in annual trash and recycling collection costs, while Republicans there said the borough shouldn't move any closer to doing business with Brick until they know how much private haulers will charge for the service.

A 3-to-3 partisan borough council vote to possibly borrow $840,000 over five years for robo-cans was one vote shy of the four council votes needed for a "super majority" needed to pass a bond ordinance.

That means the borough will now have to pick a private trash hauler that does not require its host town to supply robo-cans, which eliminates most of the possible options, said Mayor William Schroeder.

The three Democratic council members, Chris Goss, Chris Leitner and John McHugh Jr., voted yes, with the three Republican members, Antoinette DePaola, Robert Sabosik and Mitch Remig, voting no, after a lengthy debate.

After the meeting, Remig was asked if he simply does not like the idea of Brick picking up borough trash.

"No, I don't," Remig admitted. "I don't think it would be the same level of service we have now. Brick just threatened its residents that they're going to lay off employees if a referendum isn't passed.

"I work for Brick, I'm one of the employees getting a note in my inbox, 'You're going to lose your job,' " Remig said. He said he works as an EMT in Brick, along with working as a special police officer in Manasquan.

He was referring to an April 27 municipal tax referendum asking voters to approve $8.6 million in spending above a state-mandated 2 percent expenditure cap that results in a tax hike of about $441 for the average homeowner.

The referendum was narrowly approved by Brick voters, which means the township will continue to provide all of its current services, including garbage collection, as well as maintain current police staffing levels.

Had the referendum failed, township officials had said they would have had to lay off as many as 172 employees and eliminate public garbage and recycling collection, as well as the jobs of 29 police officers and other township personnel and programs.

Remig said that if Brick lays off employees or makes other changes that impacts its ability to pick up borough trash and recycling sufficiently, then the local service suffers.

Leitner then said, "We don't have any guarantee that wouldn't happen with a private hauler. And with a private hauler or Brick, we would have contractual remedies we could use."

At one point in the debate, Schroeder said, "Brick is waiting patiently. If we pass this tonight, Brick will buy three trucks from Rumson that are almost new."

Sabosik asked, "Why is Rumson selling trucks that are almost new?"

After the meeting, Remig was asked why he voted yes on first reading of the bond ordinance at the last meeting, but voted no at this meeting.

"You know what the scariest thing was tonight? The mayor saying if we voted yes tonight, Brick will buy three trucks," Remig said.

When asked about that, Schroeder said, "That's bull_. They told me before the meeting they were all voting no."

Regarding Brick buying trucks, Schroeder said, "What I meant to say is that Brick is anticipating that this be passed because they want to buy the trucks. But it's not a done deal. Brick knows we're entertaining bids from private contractors."

Brick Mayor Stephen Acropolis, reached by telephone Tuesday night, said Brick is buying three trucks from Rumson for $208,000 regardless of whether the borough contracts with Brick.

"The trucks are in great shape, they're a pretty good deal and we would use them as replacement trucks if Point didn't contract with us," Acropolis said.

Regarding why Rumson is selling trucks in great shape, Acropolis said, "I'm not sure, maybe they're getting out of the garbage business. The reason really shouldn't matter to Brick or Point."

As for Remig's comment that Brick's trash pickup service would be a decline in services, Acropolis said, "Gee, that's really funny he said that. If I had his phone number, I'd call him up right now, because that's not what Mitch and Bob told me when I met with them. Mitch never expressed a concern to me that it would be Brick doing it. But if they don't want Brick to do it, that's fine with me."

Acropolis said Remig and Sabosik met with him about a month ago to discuss the potential deal.

"They said the thought the deal was being done for political reasons," Acropolis said. "And they wanted the numbers. But they never said they didn't like the idea of Brick doing it."

Schroeder said after the meeting that the current contractor is not going to want to collect trash during January for the same rate it now charges, which is about $61,330 per month. The annual rate is about $736,000 per year, he said.

"I can't imagine them being kind, when they know we're dumping them, and saying, 'Oh, sure, we'll do it for the same price in January,' " Schroeder said.

Acropolis, in contrast, said this might not be the end of a potential Brick-Borough deal.

Then again, he added, maybe the incoming Democratic council majority in Brick won't want to pick up borough trash, he said.

"I don't know what they'll want," said Acropolis, a Republican. "When governments change, it can make it difficult to do shared services."

Elizabeth-based Meadowbrook Industries, LLC, handles the borough's recycling pickup for about $230,000 per year, municipal officials have said.

The potential Brick deal would not include bulk pick-up and would compel the borough Public Works department to hire two additional employees and may also mean residents have to pay a fee for bulk pick-up, Remig said.

In a past interview, Leitner said that if the borough hires Brick, it will have the same rights as it would with a private hauler, meaning that if Brick does not live up to the terms of its contract, the borough can sue. If Brick employees call out sick, they have to hire other workers to get the job done or be in breach of contract, he said.

"For years, Brick has wanted to be a regional provider," Leitner said. "So I think they are going to want to show they are really doing well with Point Pleasant. I think we would have great service."

Brick has committed to have trucks only for Point Pleasant, he said.

"There's no difference between having Brick and having a private hauler, except we save $1.6 million and we get shared services credit from the state which makes us eligible for more state aid," he said.

Leitner said the bid specifications sent out to private haulers call for once a week summer collection, rather than the twice weekly collection done now, with the hope that will draw lower bids than what the borough pays now.

For more on the topic from a Point Pleasant perspective, .