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County reviews potential garbage-rate increase and an in-house pickup alternative
Summary
County Manager Thomas Weaver told the July 28 work session that the residential garbage contract may see a CPI-based increase; staff outlined a county-run pickup option that could save an estimated $92,000 annually but would require buying at least one truck and new operations. Commissioners asked staff to review the contract and return with options.
At its July 28 work session the Cusseta'Chattahoochee County manager told commissioners the county's residential solid-waste contract may increase under a CPI-based adjustment and presented an alternative: bringing residential pickup in-house.
Weaver said the county currently pays a contractor for residential pickup and recently received notification that contract pricing will change within 60 days. He described two figures discussed during the meeting: a reported contractual residential cost that the manager said would move from about $312,000 per year to $342,000 per year under an increase, and a separate line the manager cited as the county's current cost of approximately $480,137 per year for residential pickup. Weaver said the county-run option could save roughly $92,000 annually compared with the contractor price cited, but that estimate does not include the capital cost of purchasing a truck (which he said could be funded from SPLOST) or the operational burden of running the service.
Commissioner Timothy Biddle said he believed contract increases were limited to CPI (about 3 percent), and Weaver said staff would review the contract language and bring precise figures back to the commission. Commissioner Gerald Douglas reported seeing unauthorized drop-offs at the recycle center and questioned whether some contractors had been avoiding payment for years; Weaver said staff are installing clearer signage, rotating staff and adding on-site payment options.
Why this matters: Changes to the garbage contract affect county budgets and residential service levels; deciding to bring pickup in-house would create new operational responsibilities for county staff and require capital outlays. Weaver asked the full commission to review the contract and decide whether to accept the contractor adjustment or pursue an in-house plan.
