AFTER DISPUTE OVER LEAF REMOVAL CONTRACT, FIRM REFUSES TO TAKE THEM

It's been three months since the Township sought to hire a firm to remove tons of leaves collected last fall from town streets. 

But they're still piled up next to the recycling center on Boyden Avenue awaiting removal. 

And they're beginning to stink.

"The neighbors are complaining because it has an odor to it and it is only going to get worse," Township Administrator Joe Manning told the Township Committee last week when he updated them on the situation.

What's the problem? The company that was hired to remove the leaves last month has refused, claiming they are contaminated. 

"We have a situation that is somewhat emergent," Manning explained at the meeting, later adding, "the contractor who we have a contract with to remove the leaves is refusing to remove the leaves because he says the leaves are contaminated, although he has provided no proof. We have no way of testing this."

That contractor is S. Rotondi & Sons of Chatham, which was chosen from among six firms who bid for the removal contract way back in January. 

Originally, the lowest bid was $6.87 per cubic yard (or $109,920) from Mazza Mulch Inc. of Tinton Falls, according to a memo from Public Works Director Calvin Bell to Township Administrator Joseph Manning provided to the Township Committee in February.

See that memo HERE.

But S. Rotondi & Sons initially contested the awarding of the contract to Mazza, claiming the firm did not possess the proper N.J. Department of Environmental Protection permit to haul the leaves. 

Bell reviewed Mazza's qualifications and found it did not have the permit and could not haul the 700 cubic yards of leaves required under the contract.

Bell indicated he then sought to award the contract to the second-lowest bidder, Marilyn Haggerty Farms of Washington. N.J. But a review of its bid found it lacked some proper certificates to operate within the contract.

Bell then suggested awarding the contract to S. Rotondi & Sons, which came in third with a bid of $6.94 per cubic yard (or $110,040).

But there was an initial delay in late February when Mazza objected to the awarding of the contract to Rotondi & Sons, claiming his firm could handle the job. The TC tabled approval until a review of Mazza could be completed.

Two weeks later, on March 7, the TC denied Mazza's objection and awarded the contract to Rotondi & Sons.

Fast forward to this week and Manning revealed that Rotondi had refused to remove the leaves, prompting the TC last week to pass an emergency resolution that allows Manning to hire another firm without bids so that they can be removed quickly. 

As of Monday, the job had still not been done, but Manning said it would be moving ahead by Wednesday.

"It is a problem because those leaves are there and they are usually gone six weeks already," Mayor Vic Deluca said at the meeting.

Stay tuned!