LYNN — The Lynn Water & Sewer Commission (LWSC) is planning to sign a new contract with water- and waste-management group Suez for its operations and maintenance of its wastewater treatment facility.
Executive Director of LWSC Dan O’Neill said the contract with Suez was approved, contingent upon certain legal items being rectified, which has not been completed yet. He said he anticipates the contract will be approved by next week.
The LWSC previously held a 20-year contract with water, waste and energy company Veolia, but upon that contact’s expiration, LWSC sent out a request for proposals (RFP) in December seeking proposals for another 20-year contract.
According to the RFP, LWSC was seeking competitive proposals from firms capable of designing and constructing certain capital improvements and providing full-service operations, maintenance and management services for the treatment plant. These services include, but are not limited to, the incinerator, laboratory, collection system, pump stations and ash landfill.
LWSC plans to commission one additional pump station, which will be added to the proposer’s services.
Procurement elements in the RFP state that Suez will have to offer employment to all plant employees — as of the contract date — who operate the facilities on behalf of the current operator, with wages and benefits comparable to the wages and benefits currently being provided by the current operator.
President Adam Kaszynski of the IUE-CWA Local 201 and North Shore Labor Council said the members and leadership followed the RFP process closely and “intervened where necessary to protect our jobs and our contract.
“Ultimately, it was a condition of the bid that our contract be adopted and recognized by any successor employer, and that our members — the backbone of the operation — keep their jobs and the benefits, wages and working conditions we have negotiated at the plant,” Kaszynski said.
If the contract is approved, Suez will have to continue to employ the plant employees throughout the term, unless any employee retires, leaves voluntarily or is terminated for just cause.
In addition, the 20-year agreement may be extended for an additional term of up to five years.
The operation of the treatment facility must operate on a continuous 24-hours-per-day, seven-days-per-week, 52-weeks-per-year schedule to receive and treat all influent to the facility and treat and discharge effluent in accordance with the performance standards and law.
The RFP also states that the maintenance company must incinerate, or transport and dispose of, all sludge and residuals. The company must also process and treat septage delivered by, or on behalf of, the wastewater plant.
In choosing a proposer, the LWSC took into consideration price, estimated life-cycle costs and evaluation criteria.
The commission worked with KP Law Inc. — as special counsel — and CDM Smith Inc. — as consulting engineer — to assist with directing and reviewing the proposals and activities.
