Committee set to review garbage service

Published 9:56 pm Monday, May 20, 2019

The Warren County Board of Supervisors Monday appointed a five-member committee to review proposals for residential garbage pickup in the county.

Acting on a request from county administrator John Smith at Monday’s meeting, the supervisors named a committee of Smith, purchasing director Tonga Vincent, environmental officer Katie Strong, comptroller Loretta Franklin and Penny Devins of the county purchasing department.

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The committee will review proposals from Waste Management, Arrow Disposal Services of Meridian and Waste Pro of Jackson. Waste Management presently has the county garbage contract.

The board later recessed its meeting until 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss the proposals with the committee.

“We’re going to go over them (the proposals) with the board Thursday, probably to award (a contract),” Smith said, adding the supervisors have not seen the bids. “We just received them.”

The county is looking to sign a six-year contract with one of the companies.

When Strong discussed garbage collection with the board at a March 11 work session, she said she would like the new contract to include service for people with special needs, which has never been included in the garbage service contract in the past.

“We have less than five cases of special needs,” Strong said at the time. “These are people that are in wheelchairs or mostly older people that can’t get that garbage can to the curb.”

Strong said she and the hauler would evaluate each special needs request on an individual basis.

Strong said a second alternate bid would be awarded, “So if the first contractor does not follow the contract or for some reason cannot, then the alternate will take over.”

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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