The Town of Gorham has received two bids in response to a Request for Proposals, leaving Gorham Town Council to choose which will be awarded the contract for the community’s trash collection.

During the council’s Nov. 19 workshop, Gorham Town Manager Ephrem Paraschak shared a broad overview of the town’s current trash pickup contract as well as future options. Casella holds the current contract and utilizes manual trash pickup. Residents are required to purchase stickers for trash bags that are then collected weekly. According to Paraschak, the trash tags generate $750,000 in annual revenue for the town, covering the cost of the contract with Casella for waste removal.

Both Casella and Allagash Waste Services have submitted proposals to serve as the community’s waste removal service for the next five years; both proposals also include a move to mechanical collection. Paraschak noted that the waste management industry is moving away from the labor intensive manual collection process, and that staffing shortages for Casella have caused disruptions and much frustration for Gorham residents in recent months.

While Casella would be ready to implement a new contract July 1, Allagash has said they need a year to source bins, trucks and staff, as Gorham would be their first large municipal contract. Town Councilors asked if only two bids was unusual, but town staff noted that as a community with 6,000 homes served, Gorham is a large community and there are limited companies who can provide the services needed.

Councilors asked a number of questions and weighed in on what they each saw as pros and cons of the options. Councilor Gagnon wanted big item pickup as an option, while Councilor Keuch asked about the feasibility of town dumpsters.

Paraschak explained that the town will purchase and distribute the totes required for mechanical services, and staff has been testing different sizes in anticipation of the required transition. Each home will receive two bins, one for trash and another for recycling, and the bins will have serial numbers through which the town can keep track of the receptacles. Tags will no longer be needed on trash bags, which means the town will need to cover the cost of the waste and recycling collection.

Staff members have been talking with neighboring communities who have shifted to mechanical trash collection to learn from their experiences. One such lesson was that the town’s public works department will need additional support to maintain and repair the bins, regardless of which company is awarded the contract.

The town manager also noted that they have been advised that it is important to educate users on bins and how mechanical collection works. He anticipates the town will launch a public education campaign to help residents ensure that bins are properly placed and maintained.

The town council will be making a final decision in December on which company will be awarded a contract for Gorham.