LONDON, Ohio — The London City Council voted 5-3 Wednesday night to authorize the safety service director to advertise for bids to privatize the city’s sanitation department, a decision that followed an emotional debate and a rare reconsideration vote.
The resolution, numbered 190-25, passed after Councilman Greg Stall requested reconsideration of an earlier vote. Council members Hit, Hayes, Trainer, Stall and Eids voted in favor. Boyd, Jackman and Peters opposed.
The vote came after the council had already rejected two related measures: a resolution to authorize bids for trash hauling services, which failed 2-5, and an ordinance to raise sanitation rates to fund continued city-run operations, which failed 3-4.
The series of votes created confusion among some council members, who said they did not realize the three items were mutually exclusive options. Safety Service Director Shannon Meadows expressed frustration, telling the council that the city’s sanitation equipment and infrastructure have reached a point where “it’s do or die.”
“The price increase right now was an initial proposal of around 30 percent,” Meadows said. “Nobody wants to pay more for services that are being perfectly capable of being provided by a privatized organization.”
Councilman Boyd faced accusations from Meadows of improperly contacting Rumpke for pricing information. Meadows said the contact could compromise the bidding process.
Sanitation employee Kevin Crosley addressed the council during audience concerns, disputing rumors that the department charges residents for open trash can lids.
“That is not true,” Crosley said. “Absolutely not are we charging residents if their lid is open.”
Council President Peters acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and urged residents to contact council members directly with questions rather than relying on social media rumors.
“If you don’t know something and you don’t understand something, there’s seven of us up here,” Peters said. “Call the damn number.”
Councilman Stall, who requested the reconsideration, said he needed to vote his conscience.
“It wasn’t my conscience to get rid of our sanitation department,” Stall said. “It was my desire to keep them.”
Council members expressed hope that sanitation employees could be transferred to other city positions or hired by the private contractor.
In other business, the council unanimously approved city administration appointments and reappointments to various boards and commissions. An update on the new police department building showed construction on schedule for a June completion, with trusses installed and exterior work underway.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Feb. 5, featuring the State of the City address.