Bristol Borough officials, responding to resident frustrations about J.P Mascaro & Sons garbage pickups addressed the issue, after the hauler cancelled Friday garbage  pickups.

Borough officials noted their own sense of frustration with garbage removal pointing to the garbage piling up outside homes and businesses is an eyesore when trying to attract visitors to come to borough events.

Council members also addressed “rumors” related to the recent garbage contract renewal with “Mascaro.”

“Trash has been a total nightmare in this town. Were at a point now where residents are unhappy, council’s been unhappy and we’re doing everything we can to try and get this resolved,” Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe, said.

He went on to explain this isn’t just a Bristol Borough thing. If you look around, the eastern part of state and even New Jersey is experiencing problems with trash pickups.

Northampton, Newtown, New Hope, no matter where you go, there’s a trash problem, DiGuiseppe, said

The council president said he called Mascaro on Friday because even he “was feed up,” when he heard they weren’t picking up trash on Friday as scheduled.

Mascaro told the borough they are working on it and hope to be back on their regular pickup schedule “soon” According to DiGuiseppe, the garbage hauler said they will be working Saturday and Sunday we will clean this town up, said the company.

“They know there is a problem. They know we’re unhappy,” he said.

DiGuiseppe also took time to explain the recent contract extension and to “clear up a couple of things”

“We did not give Mascaro an extra couple million dollars,” he said. Explaining further,  this year ends the original five-year contract. We exercised our option for two more years. If we didn’t exercise that option when we did, they would not want that contract right now. Because they can’t find the help. And they would never be obligated to fulfill that contract.”

Trash prices after the contract runs its course will be astronomically high, he said.

They are not getting extra money. Its the same deal, just extended for the extra years, DiGuiseppe said.

If we were out to bid right now, he said, you could add 30% or 40%  to the contract price. Extending the deal, when we did, is the best thing we could of done at the time, he said

Last year, the trash hauler and borough  agreed to a contract extension that would pay the Montgomery County  based company upfront but lock in a rate of $115 per property for years 2021, 2022, and 2023. The thinking  was the deal would lock in rates for the municipality, instead of price increases and provide an influx of cash for hiring efforts by trash pickup service.

“We still pay them handsomely and we expect service” said councilman Gregg Pezza.

We are all equally frustrated” Pezza said, pointing to issues in the labor market for  “businesses”across all areas.

The trash hauler is expected to resume regular pick up service this morning, with borough officials continuing to monitor the situation.