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Alexander City awards five-year residential garbage contract to Martin Environmental; council notes potential rate increase
Summary
The council awarded bid 26-05 for residential solid-waste collection to Martin Environmental (low bid $18.25) after staff said the incumbent had proposed an approximately 100% increase; Martin's sales director introduced the company and assured route continuity for 90 days followed by route audits.
Alexander City's council voted unanimously on Feb. 16 to award a five-year contract for residential solid-waste collection and disposal (bid 26-05) to Martin Environmental, the lowest bidder at $18.25 as recorded in the meeting discussion.
City staff said the incumbent, GFL, had indicated a possible increase in its contract price from $16 to roughly $32 (about a 100% rise). Councilmembers and staff framed the Martin Environmental award as a means to keep service continuity for residents while mitigating the larger increase the incumbent had reportedly proposed.
Shannon Melman, director of sales for Martin Environmental, introduced the company and described its operations. "We're excited about being here. We are very passionate about trash," Melman said. She told council the company plans to keep existing routes the same for 90 days after taking over and will perform a route audit after that period to identify efficiencies. Melman also said Martin Environmental is a veteran-disabled small business in the waste business about 27 years.
Council discussed the bid award and thanked Martin Environmental for its proposal. The motion to award bid 26-05 passed 6-0.
Clarifying note: the meeting discussion recorded the bid figure as $18.25 but the transcript did not specify the billing unit or frequency (for example, per month per household or per billing cycle). That detail was not stated on the record at the meeting and is therefore not asserted here.
