05/03/2025
In the Walker County Commission meeting on May 3rd, 2021, the commission voted for the county to remain in the Solid Waste business. This vote ended the discussion started months before whether to continue offering the county run garbage pickup service or to sell the service to an outside company to operate. Maintenence was a major concern, the equipment needed updated and replaced. Bids to purchase the pickup service were taken from outside companies that would end up being used to base the rate increase in this May meeting. The rates would be higher "with the county doing it." New equipment was expected to be financed and purchased. At no time was the close of Republic's Pineview Regional Landfill, June 28, 2025, brought to discussion. With Mr. Burrough's motion to vote, he considered the plans to raise rates and purchase equipment would put the "2025 issue" to rest.
Although there was discussion of Republic's bid to buy the county residential and commercial pickup services in a previous work session, the vote to continue the county service was not dependent on Republic Pineview Regional Landfill remaining open past the close date of the Consent Decree. The benefits of selling the pickup service included continuing the county employee Christmas bonus through franchise fees. The county landfill could continue and rolloff services could expand at the county's Gamble C&D landfill and offer employment for those close to retirement years.
In the May 2021 vote, Commissioners Davis and Aderholt voted to not continue the service. Previous commissions had run the department to keep rates low and break even over the last eight years because of the financial difficulties. Mr. Burrough and Mr. Borden voted to continue the pickup service, now described as the Solid Waste Department instead of only pickup. Chairman Miller broke the tie vote for Solid Waste to continue to be run by the county. The vote to finance and purchase a million dollars worth of equipment, to start, was unanimous.
At no time during the work sessions or the May 3rd vote was it ever discussed as a consideration to bring a lawsuit to keep Pineview open. Yet, in Jan. 2022, less than a year after this May vote, commissioners Burrough and Borden in a quorum meeting with Chairman Miller added an item after executive session to allow the county attorney to seek and pursue a legal way to keep Pineview open.
These are captures of the minutes from the May 3rd meeting from four years ago today. The link to the minutes is here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AFQc7Ea7k/
Other than some information about new hires, a limited amount of information provided in meetings by the commission about equipment purchases, issues such as truck wrecks and repairs and retirements, there has been very little informative provided by the commission about solid waste. Even with campaign statements that contradict the May 3rd plans, there has been no clarification of the commission member's intent. There has been no information provided about the renewal of the Gamble Solid Waste C&D landfill permit or the county's Waste Management Plan which is required by law.
