Late yesterday afternoon, a majority of the City Council sent a letter to Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton asking her to veto the City Council's action from last Friday approving a new five-year contract with MRI for solid waste and recycling services to half of the City.
The City Council rejected my motion directing staff to gear up to bring the whole system "in house" effective January 1, 2003. The analysis developed during the last two months indicates that the City could provide the services Citywide at less cost to our ratepayers. At the same time, the services would be provided by people earning good union wages and benefits. The 60+ union jobs that would be created could be filled through the Minneapolis Employment and Training Program or other avenues that would make those jobs available to people who would really benefit from the high-quality employment that would be offered. MRI is no longer the consortium of nearly 50 small haulers that it was thirty years ago. For example, BFI and Waste Management will surely continue to thrive even if they no longer provide services to residents of single-family homes, duplexes and double bungalows in Minneapolis. Instead, on a very narrow 7-to-6 vote, the City Council approved a new five-year contract with MRI, beginning January 1 of 2002, even though MRI's current contract does not expire until the end of next year. In effect, the Council has given MRI an unnecessary "gift" -- an increase of 74 cents for each of the 54,000 dwelling units per month served by MRI -- an increase the current contract did not provide -- an increase that will hand MRI nearly an extra $500,000 next year alone. The seven votes in favor of the MRI contract were cast by Council Members Joan Campbell, Joe Biernat, Barb Johnson, Jackie Cherryhomes, Kathy Thurber, Lisa McDonald and Sandy Colvin Roy -- four of whom will not be returning to the Council in January. In fact, Kathy Thurber's resignation took effect late Sunday night, and Gary Schiff was sworn in Monday morning to complete her term. By contrast, joining me in signing the letter to the Mayor requesting the veto were Council Members Paul Ostrow, Jim Niland, Lisa Goodman, Robert Lilligren, Gary Schiff and Barret Lane. Barret also made it clear that he believes the MRI side of the City should be competitively bid before a final decision is made regarding services in that area. Note that, had Gary Schiff been on the Council last Friday instead of Kathy Thurber, we would probably be in a very different position today. The Mayor has until 4:30 p.m. today (Thursday) to decide whether to exercise her veto power. Hopefully she will do just that and add another excellent point to her long legacy of commitment to good government. Dore Mead City Council, Ward 11 Chair, Transportation and Public Works Committee [soon to be former!] _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
