Darrell Finstermacher: A Trashy Reception

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"Put Our Name in a Hat"

Sally Reed, a delightful LASD teacher, had just thanked the City Council in the public comment for allowing her to be able to have a Bed & Breakfast at her residence for the last few years, and notified them that she was officially retiring from the business (and with the difference in taxes between residential and business taxes, that may have been significant in itself) when up to the podium cantered a man who introduced himself as Darrell Finstermacher of Independet Rural Waste Services, Reed City MI.  He would confirm what I have been saying all along.  We need to follow the Ludington City Code and require sealed bids from multiple contractors fairly, so our City of Ludington does not continue to foster a culture of cronyism and slowly morph into Detroit West or New Flint.  He starts at 3:40 into the video.

Darrell Fenstermacher:  "I heard on the news that you would be doing your contract for waste hauling for the next, possibly, five years.  I wanted to come to ask the council if the City was interested in recycling.  Our company has been in business since 2005 [Editor note:  Well after the last competitive bids were put out for this contract.]  We currently have a transfer station in Osceola County.  We work with Osceola and Lake Counties, cooperating with the Osceola County recycling program.

I don't know if your package includes recycling, but we offer curbside recycling {describes costs for plans} And I did not know if you were aware of our organization; I would like to have the opportunity in the future to take bids on the waste hauling contract.  Put our name in a hat.  I spoke with your City manager, left information for future activities.  Is there any questions?

Mayor Henderson:  Usually we don't do questions in the public comments.

Fenstermacher:  OK, that's fine, I just wanted to let you know.  I will forward to your city manager more information of the services we can provide, so that if the city wants curbside recycling, don't know if that's part of your program now, but I would like to make that available.  Thank you.

Huge Savings... If the Opportunity is There

Let's fast forward to the ordinance being considered for adoption in the business part of the meeting.  City Manager Shay gives an overview of it, CC Taranko moves to accept, it's seconded, and the mayor asks for comments/questions.

Councilor Wanda Marrison:  (To Shay) Did you receive information from the gentleman that spoke today?

City Manager John Shay:  He just called me today.  I only had a phone call. [Ed. Note: the information about the CC voting on the trash contract was playing on at least one local radio station on that day, and was likely the first time Mr. Fenstermacher heard of it.]

Marrison:  OK, he hasn't presented anything?

Shay:  As he mentioned, we just had a phone conversation this afternoon and I just asked him to send some of his contract information to me.  I don't have it yet, but we just spoke this afternoon.

Henderson:  Any other questions, comments?  We did have a gentleman come explain a little bit and is interested in recycling, so at a future date, if this contract passes.  (to Fenstermacher) Just so you know, we do have weekly curbside recycling just for your reference.  I'm just letting you know we have it today [Ed. Note:  Actually the contract expired on January 1, 2013]

Fenstermacher:  Do you have a Waste Committee?

Henderson:  The public safety/utilities Committee looks at that and this ordinance option is in the Finance Committee-- so when it comes back up, unless the council changes the way it does business, it will go to a committee and they will decide on a way to approach the topic.

Fenstermacher:  I'd just like to get our company in front of you; we have been in competition with some of the big companies the last seven years and there has been some savings of the big companies reducing their rates, us making contracts to save ten to twenty percent of their contracts.  So there are some huge savings that may potentially be available if the opportunity is there.

The City Council Unanimously Passes the Ordinance for Renewal

The City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews) did report on this aspect of the council meeting, though did not mention my support that occurred briefly in my own public comment:  "...the lack of fair, competitive bids among contractors the City hired, which by the way, may continue today if you vote for accepting the current garbage contractor's deal. This will mean there will be no such bids for at least 15 years for this service. I think that shows our city management has been neglectful in their duties to get the best deal."   Neglectful, deceitful, and incompetent, but the COLDNews editors like the guy, and so...

I have to give Kevin B. some minor credit here, he did note that "the issue was not publicly put out for bids", and then he gives a background of the contracts with Republic over the years.  He fails to point out that in the summer of 2002, by the City Manager at that time (embattled and soon to be replaced by Shay), Jim Miller.  The records I was given from a FOIA, shows that of the existing records, there was no reputable bidding process done at that time.  Here's that FOIA in full, draw your own conclusions:  2002 Bidding on Waste Hauling

One can easily speculate that Miller had some sort of vested interest in not changing the waste contractor at that time, and saw to it that the City Council, who went over his own plan of initial renewal request by insisting on competitive bids, would look foolish-- by making sure Republic (Shoreline at the time) sent back the only bid, and at a higher rate.  His firing by a newly-elected Mayor Henderson-led Council shortly thereafter by the end of 2002, with no specific reason given, adds to the fact that this may have trashed that relationship.  

As it is, John Shay, in over ten years as City Manager has yet to competitively bid the garbage contract, and instead of taking care of this business back in the summer of 2012, actually waits until the prior contract has expired to renew the contract, and rejects the concept of competitive bids because of something that happened over ten years ago that was an anomaly, likely precipitated by politics.  Even when contractors who manage to hear the covert new on the local radio station are coming to his door to ask to submit bids.  The City Council, however, like the COLDNews, think this is how you do the public's business. 

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Thanks for the follow-up pix and article.  Don't worry about the FOIA requests, I will submit one myself because I need to make at least one more list.  Some smart people in charge just don't understand that there isn't a war on the people of this country, Saginaw shows that public awareness and ridicule can help. 

In Newaygo, the phrase 'out of sight, out of mind' may work to keep these vehicles ready for use at the next rebellion quellin'.