The Newton County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) unanimously passed a motion to allow the authority chair and selection committee to work towards an agreement for solid waste collection services with Advanced Disposal Inc., which would include keeping the 11 Newton County Recycling Centers open through the end of June and offering countywide curbside pickup options.
Wayne Haynie, SWA chair, said the budget has been reviewed and it was discovered that the authority has sufficient funds available to operate as is through the end of the year.
Once the contract is approved, the centers will operate the same way they’re operating currently under Advanced Disposal direction.
As of October, residents were required to pay $50 for a car hangtag to utilize the recycling center. Newton County Manager Lloyd Kerr said approximately 8,700 car tags were sold. Those hangtags expire at the end of June, which is when the centers are now expected to cease operation.
Haynie said down the road some of the centers might reopen for residents still wishing to utilize that option.
The five-year contract could offer residents curbside service as of July 1, which is planned to replace the recycling centers. The curbside option is not mandatory for residents, Haynie said. Residents will still have the option to take their trash to the county landfill.
Haynie said the price for curbside service is still under negotiations, but is expected be around $18 or $20.
“That price is extremely competitive for the community,” he said. “It is a fair price for that service.”
Kerr said an intergovernmental agreement between the county, SWA and Advanced Disposal would be required for the operation of the centers since the recycling centers sit on county-owned land.
Steve Edwards, of Advanced Disposal, said Advanced Disposal plans to be the primary trash hauler for Newton County and will work with the local haulers to operate throughout the county.
“Our intent is not to put them out of business,” he said.
Edwards said the coordination between Advanced Disposal and the local haulers would help eliminate some of the cross-traffic of trash trucks throughout the county with one company coordinating the hauling routes, compared to the various companies that are doing it now.
Included in the Advanced Disposal curbside option would be a 96 gallon cart, same-day pick up for bulk waste and special pick up for elderly or disabled people.
Recycling is not currently an option in the contract with Advanced Disposal, Edwards said, but is a possibility in the future.
In other news, Haynie introduced SWA’s new legal counsel in the form of David Will, of Royal - Will Law Firm. Will has represented governmental entities for the entirety of his career. Haynie also introduced Kevin Walter as the county’s new landfill manager. Walter starts work Monday, Jan. 9.
