Contract to privatize county’s solid waste service is finalized

Grady County Commissioners on Tuesday morning approved a contract to privatize garbage collection and disposal with Taylor Waste Services Inc. of Cairo and authorized Chairman Phillip Drew to execute the contract.

Commissioners are anxiously anticipating the completion of the new manned dumpsite west of Whigham on Bunn Lane and once it is operational the county will put the Taylor agreement in force.

Grady County administrator J.C. (Buddy) Johnson III, told commissioners Tuesday that, weather permitting, the Whigham site would be completed by April 15 and the only remaining detail would be to have electricity run to the attendant’s station.

The county is working with Grady E.M.C. to expedite the establishment of electrical service on-site and E.M.C. official’s say that will be completed shortly.

“If all goes well, we should be able to transition to Taylor by early May,” administrator Johnson said late Tuesday.

The county administrator plans to service the new Whigham site with county forces for a minimum of two weeks to gauge the volume of garbage coming into the new site before shifting to Taylor Waste.

The terms of the contract executed this week is based on five manned sites, and when additional sites come online the terms must be renegotiated.

Based on five sites, the county will pay Taylor $59,041.70 per month. Additionally, for the 20-yard roll-off containers located at the five manned sites, the county is required to pay $185 plus tipping fees per haul for those containers.

“Once we transfer to Taylor, all of our remaining unmanned sites will go dark, correct?” Chairman Phillip Drew asked Johnson who responded affirmatively. “Hallelujah,” Chairman Drew replied.

“We are still trying to find a site near Beachton?” Vice Chairman Keith Moye asked.

According to the county administrator, the county is interested in finding a suitable location for manned sites near Beachton as well as in northeastern Grady County.

“I don’t think we want to go more than seven, but we definitely need one in the south and the north,” Johnson said.

Commissioner LaFaye Copeland, who participated in the meeting Tuesday via telephone, asked about the terms of the contract. Johnson said the terms were year to year, but he suggested the county should commit to a minimum of two years initially. Regardless, with 30 days notice, either party can terminate the contract at the end of each year, according to Chairman Drew.

“I’m glad to get this over with,” Commissioner June Knight said and Chairman Drew added, “I am, too. I am ready to get this county cleaned up.”

In other business Tuesday, administrator Johnson reported that work will begin on the Johnson Road Community Development Block Grant project on April 12 and should be completed by August 24. “The good news is we can pull our road crews off this project and with the change regarding sanitation we should see a massive improvement on road work that has gone by the wayside over the years,” Johnson said.

Vice Chairman Moye questioned whether the Georgia Department of Community Affairs had approved an extension for the county to complete the project and Johnson said nothing had been done officially, but that he did not anticipate it being an issue.

Johnson also reported that consulting engineer Stacy Watkins was in the process of finalizing preliminary engineering for a phased approach to revitalize and repair Pine Park Road. Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation have indicated additional state aid will be made available to assist the county with major repairs to Pine Park Road including the eventual replacement of the bridge on the road.

Additionally, Watkins is working on applying for a state safe road program that would provide between $330,000 and $350,000, according to Johnson, for new striping and signage on county roads where the most accidents occur.