The possibility exists that trash and recycling collection in Chelsea could someday be handled by the city itself rather than Russell Disposal, with trucks bearing the City of Chelsea name instead. Though unlikely in the near term, the City Council has requested that City Manager Thomas Ambrosino investigate what it would cost for the municipality to purchase its own waste collection vehicles and operate the service independently. Russell Disposal, Inc. of Somerville currently holds the contract for the city’s trash services.
An order introduced at Monday’s council meeting bore the signatures of six councilors: President Damali Vidot, District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero, District 1 Councilor Robert Bishop, District 4 Councilor Enio Lopez, District 3 Councilor Joe Perlatonda, and District 2 Councilor Luis Tejada—representing more than half the council.
According to Lopez, Russell Disposal has not been performing adequately, with instances of trash left behind and inconsistent recycling pickup schedules. “They are being paid big bucks and they are
not doing it,” Lopez said. “For the amount of money we are paying, we can get a
few trucks and hire people from the city of Chelsea.”
Bishop reported receiving no complaints about trash collection from his district residents, though he agreed that examining the financial data would be worthwhile. “If this saves money, I’m interested in what
(the city manager) has to say,” said Bishop. “The whole idea is to see if we
can save money.”
Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson moved to refer the matter to conference committee during the discussion. “I feel like we keep putting things out
there and we have no idea what the costs will be,” said Robinson. Robinson noted his family’s background in waste management and pointed out that a single trash truck alone could exceed $250,000, with additional expenses needed to modify vehicles for Chelsea’s barrel collection system. “If we make the move to go pick up our own
trash, there is a lot involved,” Robinson said. “I don’t have a number in front
of me, but it could cost $3 million to $3.5 million per year.”
Recupero objected to the committee referral, noting that the council was simply asking Ambrosino to gather information and cost estimates regarding municipal waste collection. “If he tells us it’s not feasible, then it
can’t be done,” he said. “If it is feasible, then we can send it to committee.”
Perlatonda suggested the actual expenses might surpass Robinson’s estimates. He pointed to Cambridge, which has roughly twice Chelsea’s population, where municipal collection costs approximately $12 million annually.
“I don’t think it is going to be feasible to
find (an option) cheaper than Russell,” he said.
The motion to send the issue to committee was defeated, with Robinson, Perlatonda, and District 7 Councilor Yamir Rodriguez voting in favor. Ambrosino will now receive the request for his examination.