The city could see gross savings of $174,000 by hauling its trash directly to a landfill in Lawrenceville, Virginia, a July 3 memo to council says.
The memo was circulated by former Interim City Manager Ed Wyatt following a trial run the Public Works Department did to evaluate the costs of directing hauling versus taking its trash to the Waste Industries transfer station outside Weldon under the contract it has with the county.
Public Works Director Larry Chalker said net savings are probably somewhere between $120,000 to $140,000 a year and take into account wear and tear on vehicles.
The results of this trial run leave the city with several options, both Chalker and Wyatt said. One is to go with direct hauling, the second is to partner with the county on its proposed transfer station and the third is to hammer out its own agreement with Waste Industries.
Another savings chart.
“It’s a matter in the next month the new administration will have to pick up where we left off,” Wyatt said in an interview before he left. “We had a quote from Waste Industries. I’m sure the county will want to be talking to us. Certainly, I think there needs to be continued discussion with the county.”
Nevertheless, Wyatt said, the direct haul to Lawrenceville, “Is an innovate approach. Waste Industries was only a five-year contract. We have nothing from the county right now. From this point there needs to be discussions with the county.”
County Manager Tony Brown said the county is going to move forward with its transfer station plans but is not at a point where it is ready to discuss rates.
“The county needs to give us a price,” Chalker said. “I’m not sure they’re prepared to do so.”
Chalker said once a price is given the city can make a decision.
The Lawrenceville direct haul right now seems to be the best option. “Right now it seems to be $120,000 to $140,000 a year savings to Lawrenceville.”
Right now the rate with Waste Industries is $50 a ton while the city was charged $25 a ton in its trial run to Lawrenceville, Chalker said. “I think we could do better,” he said of the rate in Lawrenceville.
Wyatt said of Waste Industries in the memo, “The city should ordinarily have a great deal of bargaining power with the tonnage the city could provide to their transfer station. It should be pointed out that they may lose Roanoke Rapids and other municipalities effective at the end of June of 2013. Unfortunately, we find that Waste Industries is not very flexible.”
Wyatt says in the memo, “Halifax County has not been in a position to negotiate a price for tonnage disposal beginning on July 1, 2013. The city should be an attractive customer to the county since they may take advantage of the city’s quantity of size. Of course, the county may tell us that they must treat all customers alike — at least from Halifax County.”
Wyatt suggests that any agreement the city enters into should be for an extended length of time, such as for 10 years, with carefully thought through variable increases.
This is why, the memo says, the direct haul to the Republic Services landfill in Brunswick County could be attractive. “As of matter of interest the … property represents 450 acres. It was pointed out their landfill facility will last for many years to come.”
Says, Wyatt, “It would appear that this is the most viable and economical alternative available to the city over the agreement that expires on June 30, 2013.”
