PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The city of Portage and city council may have some healing to do, and bridges to rebuild after a raucous meeting over trash hauling in the city last month.
The council decided to award a five-year contract to Waste Management as the city’s only waste hauler last month, despite a room full of vocal, angry opponents.
Some citizens returned to last night’s meeting to express their dissatisfaction with the way they were treated.
Here are Dustin Thomas and Sue Garvey.
Chris Phillips with Best Way, one of the losing bidders, claimed that their rates had been misrepresented by city staff in the presentation to the council.
City Manager Pat McGinnis says he has received numerous FOIA requests for additional information on the matter, but says the public saw the same documents the council did.
Council members weren’t happy about the way they were treated, either.
Mayor Patricia Randall says they have tried to be as transparent as they can be.
Councilman Terry Urban called it the most disruptive crowd he has seen at a city meeting in 40-years, and Mayor Pro-Tempore Jim Pearson hopes that he never sees one like it again.
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