Walthourville citizens invited to comment on sanitation companies

Citizens of Walthourville are invited to a public comment session Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. on the city’s plan to privatize garbage pick-up service. Right now, the city provides this service, and the mayor and council are looking for ways to cut expenses from the city’s budget.

The hearing takes place at the Walthourville Police Station, 192-B Talmadge Road, in the old railroad depot. Anyone who wants to speak will be asked to fill out a comment card.

Mayor Sarah B. Hayes told The Current she is concerned about residents possibly having to pay higher garbage bills under a privatized system. City Councilman Mitchell Boston has said turning over sanitation to a private company would free the city of maintenance and landfill fees, plus allow the city to charge a franchise fee to whichever company is awarded the bid. Councilman Robert Dodd also has backed the idea of contracting for garbage services.

The mayor and council have been working to bring the city’s budget back under control since taking office. Last year, a representative of the Georgia Municipal Association warned that the city needed to find additional ways to cut expenses and make money. Otherwise, the city could risk losing its charter.

“As Mayor and a citizen, I am concerned with cost and citizen’s ability to pay increased cost contracting will bring,” Hayes told The Current in an e-mail Wednesday. “I am sure you know, as Mayor I do not get a vote unless there is a tie. Citizens will have the opportunity to see and hear the cost differences. I’m not sure if the companies who submitted bids will be in attendance, they came to past council meeting[s], gave input, and answered questions.”

As of May, Walthourville had 3,993 residents, a growth rate of 2.04% per year, and average annual income of $67,325, but a poverty rate of 17.51%, according to World Population Review’s analysis of May 2024 U.S. Census data.

The cost of doing business

Walthourville has its own sanitation department and garbage trucks, but it doesn’t have its own landfill.

As of Aug. 8, the city owed Liberty County $63,599.93 for using the county’s landfill. Of that, $548.92 was listed on June 30, 2024 as being for the federal NPDES program. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System is aimed at curbing polluted water discharge from solid waste and other sources. In 1991, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delegated that permitting process to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division .

At the start of this year, according to an Open Records Request filed with the county, Walthourville owed the county $42,847.34 for solid waste. The county had made three payments as the balance continues to grow: $10,678.93 on February 5; $21,551.70 on May 3; and $22,335.21 on August 8.

But adding to 2024’s beginning balance of $42,847.34 are the monthly bills the city owes for the use of Liberty County’s landfill service:

• January 31: $11,718.50
• February 29: $10,275.14
• March 31: $10,349.46
• April 30: $11,178.63
• May 31: $11,606.87
• June 30: $8,987.59
• July 31: $10,653.32

That’s a total of $74,769.51 in landfill charges the city has incurred since January 1, on top of the $42,847.34 it already owed at the beginning of the year. Add to that the $548.92 NPDES charge and subtract the city’s three payments so far this year totaling $54,565,84, and the balance — at the end of July — was $63,599.93.

New service could start in September

The city has advertised for and accepted bid proposals from two companies, Atlantic Waste Services and ABC Waste of Savannah, Inc. City Clerk Shana Moss was tasked with assembling the team who evaluated the companies’ bid packets.

RELATED STORIES

• Fence-mending, public comment at Walthourville council meeting

According to the city’s request for proposals (RFP), the document a government agency publishes when it seeks bids on goods or services from private companies, Walthourville had 2,013 residential customers with one refuse cart, 29 of whom had a second cart.

The RFP noted, “The City desires to get out of the business by August 30, 2024, so the selected Service Provider must be capable of having the necessary equipment to start pick up service the week of September 1, 2024, if awarded the contract.” It also prevents the company from hiring subcontractors to do the job.

Hayes said that neither company had guaranteed that it would hire the city’s existing sanitation workers, but that they would “look into hiring our employees.”

The Current received copies of the pricing pages from two bidders, Atlantic Waste Services and ABC Waste Services of Savannah, Inc.

Walthourville’s RFP lists existing monthly sanitation fees of $15.50 for inside waste (household garbage), $21.50 for outside waste (yard waste), and $11 for “waste services.” In addition, “bulk inside” is $2 and “bulk outside” is $3.75. A second solid waste cart is $11 per month.

One residential bill The Current saw listed “GBG. ADO” at $11.00, “LANDFFEE” at $2, and “D TR FEE” at $2.50, for a total of $15.50, the inside waste fee listed in the city’s RFP.

Atlantic Waste Services proposal

In its price breakdown, Atlantic Waste Services of Pooler is proposing pickup and disposal costs of $20 per month per cart of municipal solid waste, $4 per month per house for yard waste, and $2.67 per month per house for bulk materials. That comes to $26.67 per month. Customers who want more than one residential cart would have to pay another $20 per month for each.

Small businesses would pay $25 per month per cart for municipal solid waste. Any additional commercial carts would also be $25 per month each.

The bill would come every quarter and would be payable in advance. That means that, every 3 months, all customers would get a bill for $80 if they have one cart.

ABC Waste Services of Savannah, Inc. proposal

ABC Waste Services ’ proposal specifies that it would pick up all kinds of items on the same day, from household garbage to bulk items and yard waste. Specifically, it would pick up residential household garbage from one contractor-owned container per household for $16.50 per month, curbside waste “not to exceed 6’ x 4’ x 4’” for $1.05, and bulk waste for $1, for a total of $18.55 per month per household. A second contractor-owned container would add $14 to the monthly residential bill for a total of $32.55.

Light commercial curbside pickup from businesses would cost $18 per month for the first contractor-owned container, with additional contractor-owned containers at $16 each per month.

What happens next?

Whichever company wins the bid would be under an annual contract for up to 4 years, ending Aug. 31, 2028. During that time, the city could end the agreement with a written notice at least 90 days before Aug. 1 of any year. After 4 years, either side could give the other 90 days’ written notice to end the contract.

Customers would request service from and pay their sanitation bills directly to the company, not to City Hall.

The City Council is scheduled to vote on which company to hire at its Aug. 27 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m.