By Ray King
Lakeshore Recycling Services (LRS), the company Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson has hired to collect garbage in the county has asked a circuit judge to dismiss it from a lawsuit filed by former Justice of the Peace Lloyd Franklin Jr.
On Dec. 17, Franklin sued the company, its area general manager Brian Lockhart and Robinson seeking to stop the agreement between the parties, which, according to Franklin, followed a County Court Order stating that an emergency existed due to numerous complaints of county residents being dissatisfied with the service provided by Waste Management, whose contract with the county expired Dec. 31.
Franklin also claimed that Robinson failed to seek competitive bids for the garbage collection service and by doing so, left the county open for lawsuits from Waste Management and other companies who provide garbage collection services.
In its legal filing Thursday, LRS denied that the contract was executed without proper bidding, that there is “immediate irreparable harm to the public interest.”
The company went on to say that the complaint does not comply with Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure because it does not include an affidavit, and the complaint is not verified. Additionally, it fails to show or provide any proof that there was immediate or irreparable injury, loss or damage.
Also, the response says Franklin failed to provide any proof he posted security/bond and therefore the complaint should be dismissed.
