Posts Tagged “Earth First”

As the raging debate over Fort Wayne’s garbage contract continues, there are a couple of areas of interest worth looking at. The first is minor, but worth pointing out.

The Henry administration has hired H.J. Umbaugh & Associates to study Earth First’s financial health. This begs two questions.

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Long, but worth the listen. Click here.

For the record, Dean is the brother of Vince Robinson, Fort Wayne Public Information Officer.

Karen Goldner has revealed why she doesn’t think Earth First would cut it as the city’s garbage vender, via FWP.

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Tom Didier hit it on the head at council Tuesday night when he said “why could you just tell us that?” He summed up the way the Henry Administration handles matters: they hide details, they mislead, they withhold.

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In an article by Ben Lanka this morning, Tim Pape is just now admitting one of his business partners owns 5% of Earth First. On top of that, his law firm represents them. We should have caught that when we posted here, who was the registered agent of Earth First.

Jon A. Bragalone
1400 One Summit Square
Fort Wayne , IN 46802

Bragalone is an attorney with Carson Boxberger, LLP along with councilman Pape.

Pape disclosed that one of his law partners represents Earth First and is a 5 percent owner of the company.

He said it was a good thing the city has received competition for this service and noted that Earth First’s proposal was the least expensive of all the others.

“If we get competition for the garbage contract, we save millions,” Pape said.

Question. How would he know it was millions unless he saw the contract?

Now, City Council Attorney Joe Bonahoom is stating that the RFP process should not have been used, and the contract should be re-bid. We questioned the use of an RFP yesterday.

This is a $9 million a year contract, and typically cities issue a call for competitive bids for contracts of this scope. This contract was not placed for bid. Instead, there was a call for “request-for-proposals,” or RFP’s. This allowed the city to pick whomever they deem best suited for the job.

Also, on WOWO last FWP is reporting he heard that Gregg Walbridge, president of Earth First stated Jerry Henry has given up his 5% stake in the company. I assume he still owns the transfer station, Summit Recycling.

Lanka is also reporting that the city is once again sitting down again with National Serv-all to discuss extending their existing contract.

Here’s a point I’ve not hit on. Personally, I don’t think the city should be in the garbage business. Let private enterprise determine who services the residents. I liked it better when I had a choice. But no, Graham Richard had to buy 80,000 containers at a cost of $3.7 million to make sure the streets looked pretty and all of the dumpsters were one color.

Why not require residents to use a dumpster from whichever service they use and get the hell out of the garbage business?

Earth First, LLC. Preferred vendor in the bidding for Fort Wayne’s trash contract. Partner: Summit City Recycling & Transfer, LLC.

- Both new companies.
- No experience.
- Owned in part by Jerry (Jerome) Henry, Jr., the mayor’s brother.
- First in line for the new garbage contract with the city.
- If they get the award, the county will lose about about $105,000 in revenue from tipping fees.
- A waste-transfer facility on Pontiac Street, glad I don’t live nearby.

Folks, this has been in the planning stages for longer than one might think.

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Here is a recap.

Jerry Henry, an honest guy, but a tough businessman, is said, by opponent Mark GiaQuinta, to be a principle of Earth First, the company which was low bidder for the city garbage contract. Gregg Walbridge, a real estate developer is the managing partner of the recently formed company. I heard a third name, but can not remember it. Earth First is also the name of the earth liberation people who burn buildings in Colorado. I love their work. This Earth First has no trucks and no dump, but can get a loan to rent trucks and will pay a dump fee to the Republic site. I also heard that there is a key player who owns the land to the north of the Republic dump who will greatly benefit from this as his land will now become more valuable, they say, I do not remember that name either, but the tax rolls should shed some light. GiaQuinta said the money in garbage is made by the landfill operator, not the hauler.

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