North Catasauqua Borough Council held its first meeting of the new year Jan. 4.

Regarding the ongoing matter of waste removal in the borough, council opened two new bids for waste removal contracts, which would serve borough residents for the next three to five years, depending on which plan is chosen.

Previously, the borough’s waste removal contract was with J.P. Mascaro & Sons, but council decided to shop around when Mascaro significantly increased the price for the new contract.

At the Dec. 21, 2020, meeting, council members accepted a bid from Mascaro to cover waste removal in the borough for January and February, giving them more time to receive bids from other potential providers.

Now, council has received a new bid from Mascaro, as well as one from Republic Services.

Solicitor Steven Goudsouzian will review both bids to ensure their validity, and council will prepare to make a final decision during its Jan. 18 meeting.

Council President Peter Paone reflected briefly on 2020 and thanked Annette Englert, borough treasurer, for successfully managing the borough’s finances despite the numerous financial issues brought on by the pandemic. In particular, he cited her work toward meeting grant application deadlines for funding, which he said will help keep the borough running in 2021.