By Ray King
By a vote of 5-2, the Pine Bluff City Council on Thursday said no to a resolution authorizing Mayor Vivian Flowers to sign a contract with CARDS Holdings LLC. To collect garbage beginning Nov.1.
The city’s current contract with Waste Management expires Oct. 31and CARDS was one of six companies who submitted proposals to take over the service. Three of those companies were called in for interviews and ranked by a consultant firm hired by the city, and a review committee, with CARDS finishing first, followed by GFL and then Waste Management.
Waste Management has had the contract for trash pickup for more than 30 years and Flowers said this effort was the first time that the city has instituted a competitive process to seek a replacement,
Several members of the council said they wanted Waste Management to continue to provide the service, despite a multitude of complaints last year. Included in that group was Council member Steven Mays who said this.
In addition to Mays, Council members Lloyd Holcomb Jr., Bruce Lockett and William Fells voted no and Council member LaTisha Brunson abstained. Council member Lanette Frazier, who has been highly critical of CARDS was absent.
When asked about his vote, Lockett said he had to support the home team.
Voting to allow Flowers to sign the contract with Council members Glen Brown Jr., and Yvonne Denton.
Before the vote, Flowers presented a list of items that were in the proposed contract that CARDS and the other companies agreed to, but Waste Management offered objections. Those items included new trash containers, trucks that were no more than four years old, resolution of complaints within 24 hours and brush and bulk items being picked up without consumers having to make a call and schedule a pickup. The other companies also agreed to a local call center and a representative from Waste Management said they now have one here. Formerly, calls were answered at a call center in another location.
City Attorney Althea Hadden-Scott said a current city ordinance requires that since the first company was voted down, the second company GFL must be approached. However, since the current contract with Waste Management doesn’t expire until the end of October, the city can attempt to negotiate a new contract.
Flowers said she was willing to negotiate but if Waste Management continues to object to things she thinks are important, she would veto any contract the council approved.
