By Gerri Miller
Staff Writer
The Autauga County Commission (ACC) began taking bids today for new garbage collection and disposal service in the wake of months of complaints about missed routes, trash on the streets, and long waits to get help on Waste Management’s telephone hotline.
Residents have said the issues go beyond collection delays. They also include missing trash cans and failure to replace trash cans that are damaged. The problems have been widespread in both Elmore and Autauga counties.
The Commission voted in their regular meeting last night to approve opening up the bid process.
Scott Kramer, ACC treasurer/administrator, said the County is opening up the bid process today to better meet the needs of the community. He said there are five companies bidding to win the County’s business, but Waste Management/Advance Disposal is not among them. Waste Management bought out Advance Disposal in November 2020.
The winning bidder will provide waste disposal services for those Autauga County residents living outside the city limits of Prattville and will begin services on December 20.
Deadline for bidding is November 22 and Kramer will present the low bid to the ACC in a special called meeting on November 23 at 5 p.m. in the County’s Administrative Building.
Kramer said County still has a contract with Waste Management, but is working to get out of it. “They’ve definitely had some challenges with issues such as labor,” Kramer said. Company officials have said current problems are stemming from Covid-related issues, which have led to a shortage of drivers and truck materials.
In April 2020, Waste Management representatives went before the ACC and laid out their plan to help correct the issues plaguing the company. They explained that the company hoped to alleviate the county’s problems by hiring new drivers, implementing of new driver technology and relocating their call center.
Residents and officials have said things have only gotten worse. Two Waste Management officials paid a visit to the ACC in September and were peppered with angry questions from the Commission.
“There’s more decline than there is improvement,” said District 2 Commissioner John Thrailkill at the September meeting. “It’s not gotten better. There might be a stretch where trash is picked up consistently, but then it falls back off. There are people in this county who are irate. The trash pickups are not just a day or two late, most of the time it’s weeks late. Is there worse service in the state than Autauga County? I mean, that’s a question for y’all [speaking to Waste Management officials].”
In other business, the ACC will hold a special meeting on November 16th with the following schedule:
4:45 p.m.- Public Hearing on Redistricting Map Issue
5 p.m. – Public Hearing on proposed ad valorem tax increase for school system capital improvements
6 p.m. – County Commission Meeting
The Autauga County Board of Education will present a plan and answer questions from the community concerning a proposed 15-mill property tax increase at the meeting.
The proposal does not actually represent a 15.0 mill increase, Kramer said. Rather, the net increase, if approved, would be for 12.0 mills, because the 3 mills provided by the state will go away once the voted millage exceeds 10 mills.
The large increase in ad valorem taxes would go to fund capital improvement projects, primarily building and replacing aging buildings, said Autauga County School Superintendent Timothy Tidmore.
Kramer provided the following example of how the millage increase would work:
Residential with homestead exemption – 15 mills (less the 3 non-voted mills)
Outside City
$150,000.00 current taxes $405.00 after net of 12 mills $585.00 increase of $180.00.
$200,000.00 current taxes $499.00 after net of 12 mills $780.00 increase of $281.00.
Inside City
$150,000.00 current taxes $465.00 after net of 12 mills $645.00 increase of $200.00
$200,000.00 current taxes $620.00 after net of 12 mills $860.00 increase of $260.00.
The ACC also voted to approve a proclamation declaring November 7-13, 2021 to be Military Appreciation Week. The Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce will host a celebration on November 10th at 10 a.m. for the special week. The Chamber is highlighting the military community in partnership with the City of Prattville and the ACC.
