Committee clears path to reopen landfill: bids for dozer, excavator and scales; first-year revenue estimated

Jackson City's Public Works Committee discussed steps to reopen portions of the city landfill on Nov. 24, with staff reporting bids for equipment and scales and providing a near-term revenue estimate.

Lakisha Weathers and other staff said bids are in process for a crawler dozer and excavator needed for daily landfill cover operations. Staff told the committee they had sought turnkey quotes that include equipment, installation, software and training; the combined figure for the two pieces of equipment and scales was reported as $933,951.03. "We will not be able to open the current cell without those two pieces of equipment," a staff member said.

Staff estimated the landfill could generate about $130,000–$200,000 in its first year of renewed operation; Hinds County and a local debris-removal company were cited as potential customers. Officials said the city has not yet calculated savings from reduced use of the transfer station and that more detailed financials would be provided.

A timeline and process item: staff expects the scale and equipment awards to appear on a council agenda (staff named Dec. 16 as a likely date), with construction and installation requiring a short build/installation period (staff estimated roughly 30–60 days after a purchase order). For longer-term separation of wood debris, staff said permitting for a dedicated debris cell could take about two years.

The committee asked staff to provide written documentation of the turnkey proposal and the plan for staging and chipping wood debris; staff said that documentation is in the landfill plan and will be shared. No formal vote was recorded; staff left with instructions to bring the bids and more detailed fiscal calculations back to the council for approval.