There's gold in all that garbage

We hope the Coeur d’Alene City Council will accept applause while we all hold our noses.

There’s an unsavory scent from the recent and ripe garbage fight.

On Tuesday night by a 5-1 vote, the Council accepted the low bid of Coeur d’Alene Garbage Service for trash pickup and single-stream recycling. The applause comes from many residents who appreciate the fact that the Council stood up to tremendous pressure and did what’s right. In this case, what’s right meant following the bid procedure precisely and going with the bid that was $6.5 million less than Waste Management’s bid over the course of the 10-year contract. That’s a Dumpster full of cash.

The lobbying effort to pressure city officials for a do-over in the bid process seemed extraordinary until you stopped to consider those millions of dollars at stake. City officials were inundated with emails and phone calls, mostly from employees and supporters of Waste Management, which lost the contract after 16 years. While former Mayor Sandi Bloem declined to explain to a Press reporter her involvement in the lobbying effort for Waste Management — Bloem works for the public relations firm that represents WM — her presence at Tuesday night’s council meeting spoke volumes. Councilmember Amy Evans, a confidante of Bloem’s, did her best to bolster Waste Management’s case but relented when city staff had sound answers to her questions. Another indication that this was not an ordinary “low bid wins, next item” occasion: Councilmember Ron Edinger cast the lone “nay” vote against acceptance of Coeur d’Alene Garbage’s bid. In our view, Edinger should at least have disclosed publicly that a close relative of his works for Waste Management.

Some of the lobbying attempts seemed more pure, like citizens expressing their support for the Waste Management crews that performed their jobs well over the years. But in the bid process, nice guys who stop to pet the family dog aren’t relevant. Getting the job done right for less money — in this case, a lot less money — is what counts.

Now it’s up to Coeur d’Alene Garbage to pick up where Waste Management will leave off.

We’re delighted with Press columnist and Post Falls Councilmember Kerri Thoreson’s clarification Wednesday that city officials are much more amenable to naming public properties after leading citizens than we’d thought. This no doubt clears the way for the Greensferry Overpass to soon bear former Mayor Clay Larkin’s name.

That’s the best news we’ve heard in a while and a magnanimous gesture from Mrs. Thoreson, whom Larkin beat soundly in the Post Falls mayoral race back in 2001.

Thank you, Kerri and council.