After more than a decade, Gilmer County is going to have a new trash hauler, along with some new equipment.
This year, commissioners opted to put out a request for proposals for trash hauling in Gilmer County.
In the end, three companies sent proposals to the county. Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris said the county negotiated with all three vendors.
“It worked out well, I think,” he said.
In the end, Waste Pro became the new trash hauler for Gilmer County.
The amounts for the 2022 Waste Pro proposal will vary depending on the number of hauls and tonnage. Costs will include equipment rental of 11 2-yard compactors with 11 receiver boxes at $461 each per month; a compactor haul rate to transfer station of $152 per haul; a compactor municipal solid waste disposal rate of $44.85 per ton; and an open top construction and demolition disposal rate of $38 per ton.
Gilmer County paid Waste Management / Advanced Disposal $463,326 in 2021.
“The Waste Pro price is higher than Waste Management, but the deciding factor for us was all new equipment versus keeping the same stuff.”
The previous vendor was Advanced Disposal, which was bought out by Waste Management in 2021, Paris said.
In 2018, Gilmer County negotiated a new contract with Advanced Disposal which had been servicing the county under an old renewal agreement for many years at the same price on an auto-renewal contract.
“They notified us they could no longer do that at the end of 2018,” Paris said.
Instead of a one-time increase at the beginning of the contract, Gilmer was able to spread the increase over three years.
The contract was bid in 2018, but no other companies showed interest at the time, not even Advanced Disposal’s new owners, Waste Management.
“Advanced Disposal was the only one who could handle it and wanted the job in our area,” Paris said.
This time, he said, the county felt things may have changed.
Waste Pro’s price was a little higher, but included new equipment versus refurbished equipment. Paris said the refurbished equipment was showing some age and was causing problems.
High-top containers were brought in when the compacters were down, but many of the older residents had trouble getting their trash over the top of the containers.
Paris said he did not want to disparage Waste Management, for the amount the county was paying, refurbished equipment is what the company could provide.
Gilmer County will work through a 60-day notice before the contract begins with Waste Pro.
Commissioners voted to accept the new contract at a special meeting Nov. 30.