Republican candidates in Colonie wasted no time in calling out the current administration for not being transparent enough with its process to find a private company to partner with in operating the town’s landfill.
In a statement released this afternoon, both Denise Sheehan, who is running for supervisor, and Town Board Candidate Pete Molinaro have submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to the town for more information on the deal. This comes just five days after the town announced it is in the final negotiation stages with Waste Connections, Inc., a private firm based in California. The town drafted an RFP in January for private firms and has since collected public comment on it. One June 23, Supervisor Paula Mahan revealed there were six different firms the town was in talks with.
Sheehan said she would like for residents to have details on the negotiations before the public information sessions start next week.
I know from my experience that deals of this nature require a meaningful engagement of the community, she said. `We need to take the time to thoughtfully consider all options for the future of the landfill. Before the public information meetings next week, the residents should be given the opportunity to see the details and the specific of the options considered so they are full informed. That is why we are requesting this information.`
Molinaro has been requesting to see more details about the process over the past year and has even asked if he could sit in on the Landfill Exploratory Committee’s meetings. He claimed the town has let very little information out to the public and said the implications of a deal being reached could be substantial.
`Just recently, a regional solid waste plan was released and Colonie has seemingly ruled out that plan without any analysis or public input,` he said. `This is potentially one of the biggest deals in town history and the residents are being kept in the dark.“