By Ray King
Although it was not on the agenda, the Pine Bluff City Council heard a nearly 30-minute presentation on what to look for when considering a company to collect the garbage in Pine Bluff beginning in November.
The current contract with Waste Management expires Oct. 31 and Mayor Vivian Flowers is exploring options for the future.
One of those is a resolution waiving competitive bidding and contracting with Solid Waste Specialists (SWS), a company that specializes in assisting cities and counties with choosing companies for solid waste and other environmental services.
Flowers put that resolution on the agenda for the meeting Monday but in order to add it, the resolution required a yes vote from all seven members of the council who were present (council member Lanette Frazier was absent) and Council Member Bruce Lockett voted no.
After the meeting, Lockett explained his vote.
Following the end of regular business, the council heard non-agenda items, including the presentation from George Wheatley, who formerly worked for Waste Management and negotiated contracts between the company and the city. Wheatley is one of the principals in SWS, as well as a former Mayor of Magnolia .
Using a power point, he showed various options the city should consider when selecting a company for residential, bulk and brush and commercial and roll-off collection.
All those options should include the use of new carts, dumpsters, and roll-off containers, and equipment to be used should be no older than 4 years at the start of the contract.
After Wheatley finished his presentation, Lockett was asked his impressions.
Companies interested in providing garbage collection services will be required to submit a detailed application including experience, financial strength, an operational plan and detailed transition plan.
Those applications will be reviewed by a committee composed of the Mayor, City Attorney, a member of the council, and others who will select several finalists with the full council making the final decision.
