The City of Stillwater is taking control of its destiny by making plans for a city-owned recycling staging facility. The proposed facility would be located next to the Waste Management Facility on Airport Access Road. The staging area would be fenced off and as much of the operation as possible would be located inside, city staff has said.
On Sept. 21, the Stillwater City Council, acting as the trustees of the Stillwater Utilities Authority, approved $165,910 for a contract with Tricore to design the new facility. The funding to cover the cost will come from the Waste Management reserve fund which means it won’t impact the current budget, Waste Management/Safety Director Chris Knight said.
The selection was made based on qualifications and experience then the price was negotiated, he said. Knight said the cost was in the ballpark he had expected but Mayor Will Joyce expressed concern because bids weren’t actually taken on the project. City Attorney John Dorman told the trustees the City is not required to take bids on contracts for professional services under the State of Oklahoma’s competitive bidding statute.