Maplewood will not be moving to weekly recycling pickup on January 5, as previously reported, due to a court order restraining the award of the recycling contract.
The Township Committee held a hearing on December 16 on an objection made by Gaeta Recycling to the award of the 2015 Maplewood Recycling Pickup contract to Bella Cleaning and Carting. However, Township Committee members voted 3-2 to award the contract to Bella. Afterward, Gaeta filed an Order to Show Cause seeking to stop the award of contract to Bella, charging that Bella had not complied with the bid specifications and that Bella was not the lowest responsible bidder.
The Order to Show Cause was returnable December 23. Superior Court Judge Thomas R. Vena entered the order, restraining the award of contract and has scheduled a hearing for January 23, 2015, at which time the judge will either direct the award of the contract to Bella or to Gaeta — or possibly throw out all bids and require a re-bid.
In the meantime, Public Works Director Calvin Bell reported that the Township is making interim plans for the pick-up of recyclable materials on the established schedule with 2014 contractor Basso Recycling. “Until further notice, Maplewood will continue the collection of its recyclables in the current manner of every other Monday,” wrote Bell in an email.
