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Cocke County OKs one-year extension to GFL solid-waste contract, removes arbitration clause
Summary
The Cocke County Legislative Body voted to suspend the rules and approve an amendment extending the countys solid-waste transfer agreement with GFL Environmental for one year and to strike its arbitration clause in favor of standard jurisdiction and venue. County attorney said the change was to preserve the countys right to seek court resolution if disputes arise.
Cocke County commissioners voted on Dec. 15 to accept an amendment extending the countys solid-waste transfer and disposal agreement with GFL Environmental for one additional year and to remove the contracts binding-arbitration requirement.
County attorney John told the board the existing agreement (dated Dec. 19, 2022) included automatic one-year renewal language and an arbitration clause. "We have a solid waste transfer disposal agreement. It was dated 12/19/2022. It is with GFL Environmental," John said. He proposed an amendment to extend the initial term one year and to strike the arbitration provision, replacing it with a standard jurisdiction-and-venue clause so disputes could be litigated in local courts.
The chair moved to suspend the rules to consider the amendment and the motion carried by voice vote. "Mister Smith made a motion to accept the amended contract that the lawyer put forward," the clerk recorded; the motion was seconded and approved in a subsequent roll-call vote.
John said he preferred courts over binding arbitration for government clients and suggested the county consider a centralized "tickler" system to track contract deadlines so automatic renewals do not catch staff or elected officials by surprise. "One of the reasons that I really don't like to put automatic renewal provisions in a contract is because we lose track," he said.
The amendment as approved extends the county's option to renew the GFL agreement year by year and removes the arbitration clause; the approved language replaces arbitration with a traditional jurisdiction-and-venue provision. No revised dollar amounts or altered service scopes were reported on the record at the meeting.
Next steps: County staff and the county attorney will finalize and sign the amendment; commissioners discussed developing a system to track contract expiration dates so similar last-minute actions can be avoided in the future.
