By Karen Hall

Editor

Waste Management was selected to provide trash and recycling services to the City of Lewisburg for the next three years at a special-called meeting Monday.

At $13 per household per week, Waste Management was the low bidder by just 48 cents per household per week. Allied Waste's bid was $13.48, and United Waste's was $13.50.

"These are good bids because they're real close," said interim City Manager Eddie Fuller, who went on to note Waste Management had the advantage of having their own landfill right down the road.

The contract between Waste Management and the city will be reviewed by City Attorney Steve Broadway before it is signed.

Included are trash pickup once a week, and recycling pickup every two weeks. Residents will get new 96-gallon carts, one for trash and one for recycling. Currently, the city picks up recycling once a week, but the new recycling carts are so much bigger councilmen agreed it should not be a problem for residents to stockpile their recycling for an extra week.

"The larger can, and picked up biweekly, I think that is sufficient service (for recycling)." said Councilman Odie Whitehead Jr.

Mayor Barbara Woods, always an advocate of recycling, agreed.

"I think they (the 96-gallon carts) would handle two weeks' recycling," she said.

"Triple the storage and double the time is a fair compromise," summarized Councilman Steve Thomas.

Waste Management will also pick up bulk items like discarded furniture. The Public Works Department will continue to pick up brush, and also old appliances because they can be sold for scrap.

The contract with Waste Management will run for three years. After that, if the company and the city are happy with the way it is going, the contract can be extended for two more years.

All three companies who bid made provisions for increasing their price if the cost of diesel fuel went up.

Residential customers don't have a choice about trash service, but commercial customers do. Every business is diffferent in terms of how much they throw away and how often they need it picked up, so they are free to choose whatever trash service they like. A business or industry could even take its own trash to Cedar Ridge landfill and pay the tipping fee, Fuller pointed out.

"I'm tired of putting it off," said Woods, referring to making a decision on who will take care of the city's trash pickup, starting July 1. "These folks need to know."

Councilmen ended the work session and began a special-called meeting to vote on which company's bid was to be accepted. The vote was 4-0 in favor of Waste Management (Councilman Robin Minor was absent).

"Let the record show what the bids were," said Councilman Ronald McRady. "Let it reflect taking the lowest bid."

Lewisburg residents are currently paying $13 per month for trash and recycling service, billed with the water bill. This rate is set by a vote of the City Council. Since there will be a saving because the city will no longer pick up recycling, Fuller said, the rate residents pay may not have to be raised.