The Burlington City Council has approved a new seven-year contract to outsource its recycling program, providing some respite for burned-out city workers and allowing time to contemplate the future of waste disposal in the Queen City. Following the 8-4 passage of a resolution, the city will contract its recycling collection to Casella 91仓库 Systems, a publicly traded corporation headquartered in Rutland that operates in 10 states. The deal could save the city $200,000 a year when compared to the costs of its in-house program.
Two Progressives 鈥� Councilors Melo Grant (P-Central) and Gene Bergman (P-Ward 2) 鈥� joined six Democrats to vote in favor of the measure, while Councilor Becca Brown McKnight (D-Ward 6) voted against it with three Progressives. Despite her initial reluctance and devotion to the labor movement, Progressive Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak said she supported the plan because the city would ultimately retain oversight over the service.
鈥淪ometimes, part of leadership is figuring out the best option that we can come up with given the constraints of the realities of finances and staff and literally, people鈥檚 bodies that we鈥檙e asking to put on the line to do this work,鈥� she said.