County trash plan already failing

The recently adopted-by-stealth Lowndes County waste disposal plan is already failing.

Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT yesterday, Garbage carts vanish,

Some residents in unincorporated Lowndes County have complained that their garbage cans have been taken up, leaving them without a way to dispose of their trash until Jan. 1.

Allgreen Services, one of the waste management companies ousted out of unincorporated Lowndes County with the Oct. 9 Commissioners decision to award a waste contract bid to Veolia Environmental Service, has begun picking up the waste carts in anticipation of the holiday season.

“We hate to have to remove them, but we have to,” Allgreen General Manager Sam Sullivan said. “We thought about waiting a month, but the problem is if we wait until the end of the year, we would be removing the carts around Christmastime. We didn't want to be out there then.”

Funny how there was no mention of this possibility in the County Commission meeting that adopted this new solid waste plan. "I don't think it could get any easier," said Commissioner Richard Raines. It looks like it's not getting easier for county residents who want to dispose of their trash.

This is currently on the county's own front page:

PUBLIC NOTICE

Lowndes County, Georgia—Lowndes County has received several calls from unincorporated residents indicating that their current garbage collection provider removed their garbage container from their home without notice. In accordance with the proposal accepted by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners on October 9, 2012, Veolia Environmental Services will be the service provider for the collection of household garbage, recyclables, yard waste and bulk items beginning January 1, 2013.

Unincorporated residents that have their garbage container removed by their current provider prior to January 1, 2013, may call Veolia Environmental Services at 229-244-2466 and speak to a customer service representative. Upon explaining to Veolia that their current service has been discontinued, Veolia will deliver a garbage container to the residents and honor the monthly rate of the current service provider.

Effective January 1, 2013, a new negotiated rate between Lowndes County and Veolia Environmental Serives will go into effect. For more information, please visit Lowndes County's website, www.lowndescounty.com or call Lowndes County Clerk, Paige Dukes, at 229-671-2400. END

Hm, there's actually contact information at the end! Seems like the County Clerk has been reading up on how to write a press release. Eventually maybe we'll see county PR with proper headlines and put on separate pages where they can still be found after they vanish from the front page.

Will that be before or after the county admits they messed up yet another waste disposal plan by doing it in secret without public hearings?

-jsq

Comments

[Barbara Stratton]

Yet another example of government contracting not following the fair bidding practices or allowing community public input. Even if you attend government meetings no bid information is made public & even if bids are referred to the amounts are always in those elusive "packets before you" that only the members have access to. In a recent Hahira City Council meeting the city attorney ruled that the city council did not have to put out the garbage service for bids & that it did not even have to have a contract. As of December 31, 2012 the city collection services will not be under contract at all so who knows what the rates may be or if a lower bid would have saved citizens money? I've been involved in government contracting for years & I can tell you that the recent path government bodies have endorsed is leading further & further away from the bidding procedures that were enacted to prevent good old boy politics & kick backs & is opening the door wide for public/private partnerships that never answer to the citizens. The state attorney general's office which should regulate bidding practices will not interfere with county or municipal issues unless a citizen is willing to pay $500 to a lawyer to present the case to them. They justify this as catering to "home rule" but in actuality they are turning a blind eye because it is within their jurisdiction to rule on non-adherence to proper bidding practices. If the state believes in "home rule" why is Governor Deal pushing a state charter school board amendment that will take away local rule? The state seems to pick & choose its standards.

[Guest]

To say that the county trash plan is already failing is ridiculous. The plan does not take effect until January 1st. There was no way to determine if Allgreen would pull their cans, unless they verbalized this to the commission. If Allgreen would have taken the tactful route, they would have given their customers proper notice. However, they chose to act like a child who does not get his way.

Also, all companies were provided equal opportunity to submit their bid and Veolia came in as the lowest bidder. This does not show preferential treatment or as you like to say, "The good old boy system." It shows that after much deliberation and determination of what would cost county citizens less money, Veolia was the best choice. Similarly, if you would like to give input into choices that are made by the county commission, then call the county office or email your commissioner and ask for a meeting or conversation to discuss your concerns. Since June, an email account had been established for citizens to email their ideas or concerns regarding trash, but according to one of the commissioners, only 3 people reached out to him to discuss the issue. Where were your concern then?

[Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange]

Hi "Guest". If you'll be willing to say who you are, I'll be happy to post your comment as a main blog post. Critics of the county's trash decision are willing to do that, so you could, too. -jsq