MASSENA -- The Village Board of Trustees gave approval on Tuesday night for Department of Public Works Superintendent Hassan Fayad to develop a request for proposals to haul the municipality’s wastewater sludge.

The village has a contract with We Care Organics to bring 1,210 tons annually to a Department of Environmental Conservation-approved site in Rodman. They are paying $109.51 per ton for an annual cost of $132,495. The per-ton cost breaks down to $60.50 for transportation and $49.01 for disposal.

“I firmly believe we will be able to reduce hauling cost and keep hauling contractors competitive by requesting a proposal to haul,” Fayad wrote.

Shawn Gray, a village resident who spoke during the meeting’s closing public comment period, said he thinks the board should take a close look at how much they’d really be saving. He believes the village would have to pony up between $1.5 and $2 million to pay for necessary equipment, which at a $100,000 annual savings would take 15 to 20 years to recoup.