By JIMMY LAWTON

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City Council did not act Monday on a proposed contract that would have Casella Waste take over sludge removal for the city.

Last month, Department of Public Works Director Scott Thornhill proposed a plan to contract with Casella Waste to haul and dispose of its sludge.

Sludge is a byproduct of sewage treatment at the city’s wastewater plant.

Action on the proposal was tabled again Monday, according to City Manager Sarah Purdy. She said the council asked Thornhill to seek a three-year contract from Casella. The council also questioned if the city could find additional savings by purchasing the boxes used to haul the waste.

In November Thornhill said the disposal arrangement would cost $91.87 a ton if the city entered a five-year contract. Thornhill said the sludge currently goes to a landfill, but under this plan, it would be taken to a plant that processes it so it can be reused as fertilizer on farms.

The city currently hauls its own sludge for disposal using its own vehicles manned by DPW staff and pays a dumping fee of about $65 per ton. The county is now considering raising that fee to $70.

Thornhill said that when factoring in fuel, vehicle wear-and-tear, permits, man-hours spent on disposal and the cost for dumping, the $91.87 per ton charge is a wash cost-wise.

Thornhill said the DPW would gain 9 to 12 hours that could be spent on other areas, such as vehicle maintenance, which would improve efficiency in his department.