WILDWOOD – Wildwood Board of Commissioners approved an increase of $128,049 to their contract with Gold Medal Environmental May 11.
This comes after Gold Medal Chief Executive Officer Darren Greundel communicated to several area municipalities that they would need to pay more if they wanted uninterrupted services from the company.
Greundel says he’s glad for the outcome with Mayor Pete Byron and his staff.
Gold Medal “is glad… to ensure not only sufficient funding for safe summertime collection but also needed changes to future contracts that will prevent these situations and maximize competition from professional hauling companies,” Greundel stated.
Wildwood’s resolution agrees to pay the increase for the remainder of the year, but the city negotiated before agreeing.
“We didn’t just lay down and take it,” said Commissioner Krista Fitzsimmons.
In several months, the contract renewal process will begin. Byron speculated that the towns on the island could “maybe form some kind of coalition.”
North Wildwood faced a similar dilemma with Gold Medal recently and ultimately elected to contract with Pineland Recycling, another local waste management company.
Byron said the city had four different meetings with Pineland, but that the city never heard back from them.
“We have to do what’s best for our constituents. It doesn’t make us feel warm and fuzzy,” Byron said.
For now, residents of Wildwood can rest easy knowing their trash and recycling will be picked up.
