By Amanda Estes

Staff Writer

South Portland city officials expect a five-year contract with Pine
Tree Waste to increase recycling by 10 percent and rehabilitate a solid
waste program that has the city’s Public Works Director Dana Anderson
at his “wits’ end” due to frequent maintenance issues with the city’s
automated trash trucks.

 On Monday, the city council approved a $4.3 million contract with
Pine Tree by a vote of 6-1 with Councilor Jim Soule opposed.

Soule said he was not in favor of what seemed to be less about
recycling than a knee jerk reaction to an accident in the spring that
put one automated truck out of service. He also said laying off
laborers would come back as an additional cost and operational concern
in the winter.

The contract is expected to commence next summer. Pine Tree will
distribute 65 gallon containers for recyclables, which at $93,000 a
year for five-years, is driving the price of the contract.

Acting City Manager Jim Gailey proposed the council discuss the
creation of a solid waste reserve account at the next public hearing.
With insurance money from the damaged truck and the sale of another
truck expecting to bring in $50,000, Gailey said there is roughly
$100,000 that could be used to reduce the bin costs by $20,000 each
year of the contract.

In other business, the council discussed a process for hiring a new
city manager. Mayor Claude Morgan said the council showed support for
keeping the process “in house” and relying on a consultant in a very
limited capacity.

The human resource consulting firm, Drake Inglesi Milardo, assisted the
city with a search that resulted in the hire of Ted Jankowski last
September. Jankowski resigned after eight months in the position.

Since Jankowski’s tenure fell short of a year, the firm is expected to
honor a guarantee to conduct a free search for his replacement.

Morgan said the application process will likely take three weeks and he
said early November is not an unreasonable deadline for the entire
process.

Morgan said Acting City Manager Jim Gailey has expressed interest in the position.

“We certainly want to see his application in that pile,” said Morgan.
“As far as I’m concerned – this pool of applicants needs to beat Jim.”

Gailey could not be reached before press time.