The Carroll County Legislative Body was scheduled to gather in a called meeting Monday night (Jan. 7) to vote on whether or not to enter into another 90-day contract with Republic Waste Management for garbage collection services in the county – though results from that meeting were not available as of press time Monday afternoon.
Republic took over garbage pickup in county back in October of last year on a 90-day emergency contract after Red River Waste Solutions filed bankruptcy and stopped providing services.
And while that contract has expired, members of the Carroll County Solid Waste Committee, during a Jan. 21 meeting, asked Republic representatives to consider doing another 90-days – basically to give the company more time to fix the problem of inconsistent service in certain parts of the county and to give county officials more time before making a final decision on whether or not to enter into a long-term contract with Republic.
Republic reps said they would consult with their superiors and let them know.
During a telephone interview with County Mayor Joseph Butler Monday morning, Butler said Republic has agreed to extend the emergency contract another 90 days – which is why the Monday night called meeting of the Legislative Body was set so that commissioners can vote on whether or not to give Republic another three months.
And while Butler did not say directly how he thought commissioners should vote on this issue, he did point out that Republic has been making efforts to improve the situation, including the addition of a third truck and driver to help with county pickup routes.
“We need to move forward with the best possible situation to fix this situation, and I think Republic is getting closer to that,” said Butler. “They [Republic] are the only company that stepped up to help us when we needed it. It’s not been perfect, but they seem to be working hard to get the remaining issues resolved.” The Legislative Body will not be having a regular meeting during February, and, unless something changes, it will not meet again until March 14.
