As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to reverberate through various aspects of life, residents and officials of Jim Thorpe Borough are grappling with a substantial increase in their garbage collection contract costs.

The borough’s current five-year agreement with Tamaqua Transfer is set to expire at the end of January 2024, and the latest contract bids have council preparing to deal with rising costs.

The proposed three-year contract came in at a staggering $2,697,837, with a five-year contract estimating an even higher $4,619,841. This represents a significant 103.75% increase, according to Borough Manager Maureen Sterner.

“It has been quite the challenge for the budget,” she said.

Council President Greg Strubinger said he was hopeful for more than the two companies who submitted bids for garbage service.

“We had a five-year term with Tamaqua Transfer, and that got us around the pandemic, but I think it’s coming back to bite us right now,” he said.

Strubinger did commend the service provided by Tamaqua Transfer, noting their responsiveness to resident concerns.

“You can always get someone on the phone if there is a missed pickup or some other issue,” he added.

Borough officials have explored alternative options, including opening a transfer station, but Sterner pointed out that this would be a multiyear endeavor. Additionally, residents contracting out garbage collection services individually would likely incur even higher costs, she said.

While no contract has been approved yet, a potential new three-year pact with Tamaqua Transfer could result in the garbage portion of an average residential utility bill increasing from $25 to $50.69 per month.

Councilman Michael Rivkin, at a recent budget workshop, said he believes such increases are to be expected as companies like Tamaqua Transfer seek to recover from the pandemic’s financial impact.

“This is their makeup time,” he said, “They had increased labor, fuel, and landfill costs from the past several years like everyone else.”

Councilman Jay Miller inquired whether the municipality could tap into sanitation reserve funds to mitigate the rate increase for 2024 and “soften the blow” for residents. Sterner, however, revealed that only $100,000 would be available for such purposes if the council aimed to maintain at least $500,000 in reserves, which has been the historical preference.

Despite the financial strain, Councilwoman Joanne Klitsch voiced her gratitude for the services provided by Tamaqua Transfer.

“As much as I don’t like this, I think we’re lucky that the company takes everything they do,” she stated, emphasizing her reluctance to resort to self-transportation of garbage to a transfer station.

Sterner assured residents that the type and amount of garbage they can dispose of will remain unchanged.