With the city’s garbage contract set to expire in 2017, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. has appointed a five-member committee to analyze the present agreement and develop a request for proposals for a new contract.

The committee was one of two the mayor appointed at the start of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s Monday meeting. He also named a three-member committee to prepare a request for proposals for a company to market the city’s as-yet undeveloped sports complex.

Flaggs named City Attorney Nancy Thomas, Accounting Director Doug Whittington, City Clerk Walter Osborne, assistant public works director Jeff Richardson and street department supervisor Carl Harris to the solid waste committee.

“I am asking the committee to present a preliminary recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in January, when the old contract expires,” Flaggs said.

The board in June 2011 approved a six-year contract with Houston, Texas-based Waste Management to collect and dispose of garbage twice a week at a rate of $11.16 per household and small business per month.

The company would collect and dispose of garbage four times a week for businesses in Vicksburg’s business district for $25 per business per month.

“It is my understanding that this contract is very important, and the last administration, I think, reduced some of the services, and we ought to look at that and evaluate the services so that we can provide the very best services to the constituents,” he said.

“There is some confusion in the community about some things that used to be picked up, and there are some things we need to add to the contract,” South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said.

Concerning the sports complex, Flaggs named Thomas, Osborne and recreation director Joe Graves to staff the sports complex committee, which is charged with “formulating the RFP to market the proposed sports complex for the city.”

“They will devise an RFP that will go out, analyze the information received and make a recommendation to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to which a marketing firm will be utilized for the city of Vicksburg.”

“ I think we will be able disseminate information about where it’s going to be and really hear from the public I think it will be beneficial,” Thompson said.

The board in June approved a contract with Sports Force of Canton, Ga., about providing feasibility and design services for the proposed sports complex, and is waiting on the final report from the company, which some sources familiar with the reports say will recommend the city’s property on Fisher Ferry Road as the site for the facility.