The Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management Commission discussed the bid process for servicing the district and, with the possibility of North Adams coming on board, Program Coordinator Linda Cernik wants to ensure they use every resource available.
“This is a very, very important bid coming up. There can’t be any mistakes, any hiccups, nothing. With the possibility of North Adams joining the district, and maybe Dalton, we have to get this right,” Cernik said. “We met with Williams College and the four students doing the study (about North Adams joining the district) and they are going to present to the City Council in December.”
The possible inclusion of North Adams and Dalton would be especially convenient this year as both municipalities’ solid waste contracts expire on June 30, the same date as the district’s.
Although the move is viewed as positive on most fronts, Windsor Selectman and Commissioner Doug Mcnally would like timely decisions from both communities so the solid waste district can move ahead with the bid process.
“They are realizing that if they joined us and we all put out one bid we would all probably do better financially. They also understand, we made it very clear to them, don’t come to us a month after we’ve started the budget and say, ‘OK,'” he said. “The people in both towns clearly understood that if they didn’t give us a lead time to do the whole budgetary process (with two new members), we couldn’t do it.”
The commission’s accountant Terry Haig agreed that it was in the best interest of both North Adams and Dalton to decide quickly. “Budget-wise it’s very difficult if they join us midstream. We have to budget accordingly for the services that the districts are going to provide,” she said. “There’s a lot that goes into that and we need as much time as possible. [If they decide late] it could be an accounting nightmare. It’s not something you can prorate. It would be nice if we could even get the bids early.”