Elizabethtown firm named waste vendor in 6-1 Fiscal Court vote

The Meade County Messenger

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

Waste Transport of Elizabethtown is the county’s new solid waste hauler.

The contending bidder was Louisville-based Waste Management.

With the approval, residents can expect to see their garbage bills increase about 38 percent, while commercial customers will be saddled with a 50 percent rate increase. Waste Transport’s bid for residential pickup was $17.25 per residential address. Magistrates, on a 6-1 vote with Magistrate Herbie Chism casting the lone dissenting vote, cemented the deal Nov. 13, ending several months of deliberations, which included a rebidding process. Magistrate Tony Staples made the motion for the contractor, which was supported by Magistrate Steve Wardrip.

Judge Executive Harry Craycroft said the county’s solid waste advisory board recommended Meade County get out of the waste hauling business and magistrates could choose one of two options, with one allowing the contractors to bill and the second letting the county continue the process.

Chism clarified earlier comments which were misconstrued in the local media. He said although the first set of bids were opened in July, it put the county at great liability when one bidder was granted the opportunity to submit a revised bid.

“We elected to throw those bids out and bid again. That went on for 60 days or so, then we opened them up, had a meeting and set a public hearing date for two weeks later,” Chism said.

Chism referenced the meeting where a public hearing date was originally set, but alleged the judge executive’s office didn’t get the necessary publication completed in time.

“He forgot to put in the paper and it was delayed another two weeks,” Chism said. “That is one reason why it has taken so long to get it done.”

Chism questioned Craycroft as to how much money the solid waste and recycle department had in the bank, as of Oct. 31.

“That has been discussed in open session,” Craycroft said. “Everything has been discusssed in the open. Now can we have a roll call please (on the motion).”

Chism called for a point of order.

The point was not affirmed and the roll call proceeded.

“I want to explain my vote,” Chism said, when it became his turn. “I think that option one is the only way to go, and as I asked the judge how much money the department has, they have $340,000 in the bank.”

Chism said he was not going to vote to allow for a price increase, when the department had that revenue in the bank.

“This is going to be a 38 pecent increase for residential (customers) and better than a 50 percent increase for commercial customers,” he said. “I think we could have a smaller increase and still stay in the business, thus I am voting no.”

Craycroft alleged Chism’s figures were misleading.

“They actually don’t have that much money in the bank,” he said. “And if we stay in business it will cost more than $17.25. The advisory board has done their work and they have some very highly, intelligent individuals there. One of them is a math major.”

Staples didn’t know the department had that much money and wondered if a portion could be used to repay the county’s debt.

“We need to get through the transition period,” Craycroft said, adding that after the transition period has ended the county would see where they stood.

Craycroft plans to recommend, if everything was going well, the department borrow money from Fiscal Court to pay the debt and the court would write off the bill as a bad debt.

“We need to get our feet on the ground and see where we are at first,” Craycroft said. “It may be February or so before this happens.”

Waste Management representative Tim McNally thanked county officials for the process.

“You really did work hard and Mark (Gossett) did a great job. I also want to thank you for the opportunity to bid,” he said.

During public comment, Waste Transport’s owner Wayne Smith pointed out his seat to the magistrates as he addressed them.

“That seat is mine,” he said, pointing to the fourth row. “I claim that seat.”

Smith also thanked them, adding the bid part was easy and the hard part was just beginning.

“We understand that, accept it and we want to thank you,” he said.

Borders sells trash company to Waste Transport

HARDIN COUNTY — Beginning this morning, Borders Recycling & Disposal belongs to Waste Transport Service, but at least for now, Sammy Borders will continue to manage the daily operations of what used to be his company.

Borders has the exclusive franchise agreement to provide trash pickup service for residents in the unincorporated parts of the county, and Hardin County Fiscal Court passed the first reading of an ordinance at its regular meeting Tuesday that would transfer the contract to Waste Transport, which is owned by Wayne Smith.

The vote was unanimous except for Magistrate Tom Jaggers, who abstained from voting because he has a family tie to Waste Transport. Second reading of the ordinance is to take place at the Sept. 12 regular meeting, which begins at 3:30 p.m. on the third floor of H.B. Fife Courthouse.

“I’ll be with it as long as (Smith) needs me. If he needs me for the duration of the contract, I’ll be there,” Borders said after the meeting. “If he don’t need me, I’ll go to Florida or Hawaii or somewhere and hang my feet out of a boat. I’ve got a lot of things to keep me busy. I’ve got a lot of grandkids … about eight.”

Borders, 53, said the fact that he’d had two heart attacks, one on Christmas Day and one in January, was the main reason he decided to sell the business.

“I want to live as long as I can and die when I can’t help it,” he said.

Although he decided about six months ago that selling probably would be the best thing, he said neither he nor Smith really approached the other about the possibility.

“We’ve been friends forever, so we just started talking about it and that’s how it wound up. It started out as a joke,” Borders said.

Choosing a buyer, though, was no laughing matter to the man whose father was in the business starting in 1957 and who’s been hauling trash himself for nearly 40 years.

“I wouldn’t let a national company have my business; that’s why I wanted a local man to do it,” he said.

Once the transition is complete, regardless of how long it takes, Borders said he’ll take a little break and take it easy for a while. He doesn’t know exactly what he’ll do after that, but he feels sure it will be something.

“I’m not going to retire. That’s for old people,” he said.

In a meeting of Fiscal Court’s Solid Waste Committee before the Fiscal Court meeting, Magistrate Bill Brandenburg, committee chairman, said Borders had asked what would be required if he chose to transfer the contract.

Although most of the other required paperwork had been provided, no formal request to make the transfer was presented to the county until just before the Fiscal Court meeting.

Smith told Fiscal Court he planned to keep all of Borders’ employees.

“He’s got good people. He’s got a good system. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” he said.

Several magistrates commented that Borders has done an excellent job since he took over the three-year county contract Jan. 1, 2005. At that point, some residents’ trash hadn’t been picked up for two weeks or more by the previous hauler, Scott Waste Co., and he and his company were praised by county officials and several customers for the work they did to catch up the routes.

In July 2005, Borders requested a fee increase to cover additional fuel and dumping costs and a contract extension to allow more time to pay off additional trucks he’d purchased. Fiscal Court approved a six-month extension to the contract but no fee increase.

On Sept. 27, Borders told Hardin County Fiscal Court he no longer could operate under the current contract but would continue to collect trash until a new hauler was under contract. Fiscal Court chose to open the contract up for bids, and Borders again was chosen. The new contract made allowances for inflation adjustments.

Borders also holds the franchise agreement for the city of Vine Grove, and he has some customers in Elizabethtown and Bullitt County. Waste Transport either has or plans to take over those accounts.