Three firms gave proposals Tuesday to a committee of Starkville staff and aldermen, seeking to become part of a planned expansion of the city landfill.
Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn, Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard, City Engineer Edward Kemp, City Planner Daniel Havelin and Sanitation Director Emma Gandy heard bids from Neel-Schaffer and EarthCon. The third firm—Calvert-Spradling—issued a proposal but did not present during Tuesday's meeting.
Officials will make a recommendation to the Starkville Board of Aldermen to vote on a firm at the upcoming March 15 meeting.
The current 10-year state permit agreement the city is under expires in December and a portion of the site is at capacity, prompting staffers to seek bids for shifting collection cells, officials said.
The city-owned landfill is just north of city limits near Butler Road and sits on about 22 acres with four cells used for collection. Each cell is approximately five acres and there are three cells still available for future use.
The proposed plan would lay out options for: horizontal cell expansion, vertical cell expansion or mixed cell expansion, and possibly increase revenue due to a larger area to collect rubbish.
Vertical expansion was more expensive than horizontal expansion, officials said.
"The current area is at capacity now," Gandy said. "We are looking into horizontal and vertical expansion options. Currently we are cramped for disposal space."
Neel-Schaffer estimated the city could have work done for around $24,000 based on similar work the firm had done in Columbus in the past. EarthCon estimated its services would range around $80,000 and include a comprehensive plan.
Once permits are issued from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Neel-Schaffer associates estimated work could begin on a 90-day timeline. EarthCon's timeline spanned around 160 days.
Both firms would provide field studies, surveying to assess available volume, conditions, possible problems, deal with closing the near-capacity cell and opening the new cells with proper lining for future use.
EarthCon could provide data analysis and an in-depth document for future landfill use through field studies and data review, company associates said.
No residential garbage collection is kept at the site, but rubbish collection and building materials are accepted. Commercial and residential waste is sent to the Golden Triangle Regional landfill in Columbus.
Household garbage is defined as waste accumulation and animal and vegetable matter which attends the preparation, use, cooking, processing, handling, or storage of meats, fish, fowl, fruits, vegetables or other matter which is subject to decomposition, decay and putrefaction, according to the city's website.
Rubbish is considered the waste accumulation of dust, paper cartons, cardboard cartons, rags and other accumulations which are usually attendant to the operation of stores, offices and similar businesses, the website said.
The city pays GTR to accept commercial waste but the Starkville Sanitation and Environmental Services Department produces over $792,000 in annual revenue from commercial garbage pickup services and operates on about $309,000 in annual expenses, leaving around $483,000 in annual surplus.
The surplus helps fund a large part of the department's other sanitation services, officials said.
"One of the things we look to get out of this is a longterm plan going forward," Maynard said.
At the March 1 board meeting, aldermen voted 4-3 to deny a request for proposals to privatize future trash and recycling pickup services.
The resolution was brought forward by Wynn and those in favor of denying the request said it would threaten the morale of the sanitation workers.
Forty-five city employees are tasked with trash and recycling pickup services.
"We have folks who go into work with a sense of pride," Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman said before the vote. "They provide a service to the community that is more than just a job."
The board will meet again at 5:30 p.m. on March 15 at City Hall, 110 W. Main St. The agenda will be released Friday.
To view past agendas and a complete list of waste definitions, visit cityofstarkville.org.