Bowmanstown Council, on a 4-3 vote awarded a five-year trash contract last week to Tamaqua Transfer for $711,044.

Voting yes were council members William Ravert, Kara Scott, Rob Sikorsky and council President Pam Leiby. Opposed were Darren Thomas, Rob Moyer and Candace Rodriguez.

After the vote, Thomas said he wasn’t sure if council fully realized that its decision means that in essence, it will be paying more from the start by going with the 5-year deal rather than the 3-year deal.

Tamaqua Transfer also turned in a bid for a 3-year contract in the amount of $408,926. It did not submit a quote for a 1-year contract.

Larry Wittig, president of Tamaqua Transfer, said the council members who voted in favor of the 5-year pact were wise to do so.

“I think the people that did vote for a five-year (contract) were prudent,” Wittig said while noting the initial cost is more.

Sikorsky said he favored the five-year pact so that the borough would be locked in.

But, Thomas countered that he wanted to err on the side of keeping extra money in the borough’s coffers.

The new contract does not include recycling, and was based on 387 residential units, each permitted to have up to four 39-gallon trash bags per week.

Two other companies turned in bids. J.P. Mascaro & Sons bid $202,404 for one year, $580,356 for three years, and $1,012,020 for five years. Whitetail Disposal bid $157,908 for one year, and $488,892 for three and no bid for 5-years.

The borough’s current garbage contract with Tamaqua Transfer is for $132,300 for one year. It was based on 437 residential accounts, each with six 39-gallon containers. Council had previously voted for the one-year contract because of the higher costs involved. Recycling was not included in that plan either.