“I want to thank all of the voters who came out yesterday to execute their right and privilege to vote. I also want to commend the registrars and the poll workers for the excellent job they did running a very efficient voting process.”

 

Salina stated that the emergency meeting was warranted, “The voters have spoken and they deserve the Council’s immediate action in response to their vote.”

 

“It is very important that we meet as soon as possible because the current manual contract expires June 30 and the fully executed contract for automated service begins July 1,” said Salina. “The timing of this referendum, and the amended ordinance it calls for, raise complex issues that the Council and the Town Manager will now need to address.”

 

The town completed the bidding process for trash collection and the Town Council approved automated pickup on February 3, 2009. At that time automated pickup, with its anticipated savings, environmental advantages, together with the trend of fewer and fewer trash companies offering manual collection, was overwhelmingly supported by the Council as being in the best interests of Berlin. The contract was signed and the cost was included in the budget which resulted in no tax increase. The budget was adopted after a public hearing and a referendum on April 28, 2009. The vote yesterday was to adopt an amended ordinance that would require manual pickup.

 

 “The Council worked very hard to develop a balanced budget that included no tax increase and our number one goal remains the preservation of that zero tax increase, despite this amendment to the ordinance. More hard work will be required if we are to develop a solution to the many consequences of yesterday’s vote. Particularly in light of its timing which is well after the contract for automated was fully executed in accordance with our Town Charter” said Salina.