Team Waste answers citizens complaints

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors aired out complaints to Team Waste officials at a recent meeting of the board.

District 5 supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett launched the questioning into citizen’s complaints about service since the company has changed hands and is now owned by Waste Connections.

“Cans are being left in the road and people are having to go around them,” Bennett said. “They are not picking up some people’s garbage. Somebody calls them all the time and they don’t pick it up.”

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III said a resident in the 2500 block of Laws Hill Road doesn’t put his garbage can out every week. Then when he does, they don’t pick it up.

“Why is it they are missing it?” Zinn asked. “A lot of people are not getting rubbish picked up. In some cases they keep calling and sometimes the county has to go get it.

“They are supposed to make a pass a week by each residence. They should not have to call.” Cornelius Finley with Team Waste said the company was taken over but employees with Team Waste are still making the runs.

“They should not have to call to get rubbish picked up,” Finley said.

District 2 supervisor Eddie Dixon said there is a problem at a location on Highway 72 where rubbish cannot be left; Highway Patrol troopers are telling them to move it, he said.

“Their driveway is Highway 72?” Stephen Litton, with Team Waste asked.

“It’s dangerous for several residents,” Dixon said.

District 1 supervisor Charles Terry reported that some rubbish left at a residence on Highway 178 had stayed out on the side of the road quite a while.

“Safety issues,” Litton said.

“That’s a dangerous job,” Bennett said. “I’d hate to do it. It’s a very dangerous job and overall they do a good job.”

“I want to eliminate some of these factors that come up too often,” Litton said.

District 3 supervisor Keith Taylor said he wants to make sure the county goes back to getting the same service it had.

“It changed overnight,” he said.

Bennett said he has trouble explaining to residents that Team Waste will only pick up about 4 cubic yards of rubbish a week at a residence.

“Sometimes it stays there six months,” he said.

Taylor said the county took a big chance when it permitted the landfill (Quad County Landfill).

“Marshall County is our home as well,” Litton said. “When you go from a mom’s and pop’s to a corporation, you lose when new people come in. It takes more management and equipment to offer the same level of service.”

“You lose that mom’s and pop’s, you are losing that family feel,” Taylor said.

County engineer Larry Britt reported on progress on several projects.

Paving of a portion of Wingo Road was to begin.

The cost of asphalt jumped up about $10 a ton to about $12.50 a ton which was going by increase the cost of the project to between $27,670 and $32,000, he said. Money was left in contingencies to cover that increase in asphalt from $92.71 a ton to $105 a ton.

The board approved a request for a 60-day extension on the Wingo Road project.

Zinn asked if the county can expect increase in asphalt prices on other projects.

“Yes, we are going to run into it on just about every project,” Britt said. “Gas is up, inflation is up. We can expect it on every project.”

The plans to resurface Potts Camp Road has been approved by the state.

Chancery clerk Chuck Thomas asked Britt if the county will likely get any money from the Federal IT Modernization Fund.

Britt said the money can be used on roadand bridge-related items and some equipmentrelated road and bridge construction or reconstruction projects.

“How much could we use to do roads on top of what we already have?” Taylor asked.

“You could also use it to retire a bond on road and bridge,” Britt said.

He said the use tax collection is likely to increase and “get a bump” January 1.

“So, if we could get $1 million by January 1, could we use it?” Taylor asked.

Britt recommended the board treat it like the regular budget and decide later. It can be used for Roads and Bridge projects.

In other business, the board of supervisors:

• approved lease purchase agreements on three trucks. A lease purchase on one or more backhoes was also approved at a payment of $2,700 a month at 3.34 percent interest.

• approved claims of $279,204.

• authorized purchase of a trailer at $11,800. New lawn mowers were also approved following the destruction of a trailer and mowers when the trailer came loose from the vehicle.

• authorized seeking quotes for framing on Medic Station No. 4 at Chulahoma.

• learned from Randy Mercer that inspection of community centers found no big issues inside the structures. Some painting of handrails and repair of porch posts was indicated. New locks have not arrived to be installed, he said. Thomas wanted to match the paints at the Rosenwald School and Isom Chapel Community Center to make it look like one complex.

• approved the 2020 audit.

• discussed office furniture for the newly renovated county administrator’s building.