By Ray King
A lawsuit challenging a decision by Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson to award a contract to Lakeshore Recycling Services effective Jan. 1 has been filed by Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin Jr.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon and asked a judge to issue an emergency order preventing Robinson and Lakeshore Recycling from proceeding with the contract which, Franklin said occurred “without proper bidding, causing immediate and irreparable harm to the public interest and the administrative integrity of Jefferson County.”
The lawsuit asked a judge to void the contract, schedule a hearing on the merits of the lawsuit, and that Robinson be prohibited from circumventing the legal bidding process related to this matter.
Contacted by phone, Robinson said he was reviewing the lawsuit with his attorney and would have no comment at this time.
Attached to the lawsuit are copies of state statutes dealing with county purchasing procedures, emergency procedures, copies of letters from Legislative Audi covering the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, a letter from Waste Management, the company that currently has the county’s waste contract, and an emergency county court order from Robinson saying that an emergency exists because of complaints from county residents about trash pickup by Waste Management. The current contract with Waste Management ends Dec. 31 and the court order says there is an emergency need for trash pickup.
The lawsuit contends that Robinson’s legal basis for the Emergency Court Order “does not meet the merit required by law to forgo the bidding process during an emergency procurement. Critical Emergency means an emergency in which human life or health imminently endangered.”
Franklin goes on to say Robinson was aware of the contract expiration (with Waste Management) because he personal signed the current contract three years ago.
The lawsuit also contends that if the contract is finalized, the county could face lawsuits from vendors like Waste Management, LRS, GFL Environmental, Republic Services, Central Arkansas Recycling and Disposal Services, Big Smith Waste Service and others who were excluded from participating in the bidding for this multi-million dollar contract.
