Warner Robins considering all options in longtime trash dispute
By Mike Stucka, The Macon Telegraph | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
"I wouldn't say we're at a point where we're considering further litigation," Toms told
The city plans to spend about
Meanwhile, the
From promise to pain
Cities and counties that contracted with the
"I do not see any way we could have passed this deal by," then-Mayor
It was a big project for a new agency in a small place. Contracts for recycling came from all over southwestern
The recycling plant outside
Accusations, and sometimes lawsuits, flew. The authority blamed managers and the engineers for the plant's failure, while they threw the blame right back. One thing that wasn't flying: 1,500 tons per day of municipal solid waste, most of which was supposed to be recycled and turned into cash. Instead, all, or nearly all, of the trash went straight into a landfill.
At one point, the recycling plant was losing about
None of the financing arrangements prevented
The city filed suit over its trash contract in 2002, claiming in part that the
The city also launched two later cases in Houston County State Court. Neither helped
Elliott said the city's basic complaints remain.
"We believe that our folks were clearly misled and all those kinds of things. We're not by any means the only ones on this sinking ship," said Elliott, who said he's heard of other unhappy contractees.
Now what?
Elliott said the city has about 38,000 residential trash customers. Multiply several dollars' difference by thousands of customers by 12 months a year, and those cost differences add up quickly,
"There's a lot of money in waste," he said.
But Elliott was cagey about what, exactly, the city could try to do with the
"We've got some attorneys looking at various issues," he said.
Toms also refused to be specific.
"It's a dilemma we need to move forward or figure out if we can move forward on. We're working on it," he said. "I don't think it's dead in the water, only because I want to do what's best for the citizens of
A reporter asked him whether that would mean the city would try to get out of its contract altogether, try to get recycling, try to address complaints or do something else.
"I wouldn't want to answer that without knowing more what our options are," Toms replied. "I want to look at all of our options and figure out what's best."
"As far as I know, it's fine," he said.
Other communities contracted with the
Meanwhile, trash trucks in
The recycling facility itself was to get a new life in 2007, when
Now, the recycling plant has a new plan and a new owner, Synergy Solutions.
The agency still has three trash transfer stations, including one in
"The thing we ought to be thankful for," Elliott said, "is we're not under a 50-year contract."
Telegraph archives were used in this report. To contact writer
___
(c)2014 The Macon Telegraph (Macon, Ga.)
Visit The Macon Telegraph (Macon, Ga.) at www.macon.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 1368 |
Schools aim to narrow director field
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News