BROOKHAVEN — Garbage is a hot issue again as ADSI’s contract is set to expire on Sept. 30 and Waste Management’s contract is set to start Oct. 1. Citizens raised more questions about the transition after an article published Monday covered new details from Waste Management. 

Some readers asked why the transition was being made. To put it simply, public outcry and complaints at numerous board meetings led to the change. Cracks in the relationship between residents and ADSI started showing in June 2023. Supervisors and ADSI addressed some complaints about garbage pickup being missed. The issues were blamed on employee turnover at a meeting in June 2023.. 

For example, at a July 2023 board meeting former District 3 Supervisor Nolan Williamson explained that ADSI had an entire crew walk off the job going from 13 workers to three. 

At a board meeting on Aug. 19, 2023, Supervisors said they would try to work through the rough patch with ADSI. Former District 4 supervisor Eddie Brown explained it would be smart to try to work through things. 

““We can’t jump from garbage company to garbage company,” Brown said in August 2023. “The last garbage company abandoned us and left us scrambling. Y’all have come in and done a great job. We need to work through this and work with you. I just don’t see how jumping companies makes anything better.” 

In Nov. 2023, Lincoln County started placing garbage complaints on the minutes. In December 2023, ADSI’s CEO appeared before the board to address concerns with garbage pickup. 

Finding a solution

The newly elected board decided to have a work session for when the bids opened to new garbage companies starting with discussion in Feb. 2024. Brookhaven and Lincoln County officials met in April 2024 to discuss garbage collection and expectations. 

City and County officials then met with garbage companies to discuss those bid proposals. Bids for garbage collection were turned in on June 3, 2024. The contract with Waste Management was awarded on June 17, 2024 pending City action. Waste Management would charge Lincoln County $15.47 per can per month for once a week pickup using a side loader. Residents pay the County $50 every three months for garbage collection. 

Twice a week pickup was never an option included in Waste Management’s bid but it was an option for the City of Brookhaven.

ADSI was charging Lincoln County for collection of 9,900 cans but tax collector/assessor Blake Pickering estimated a total of 8,200 to 8,400 cans were actually being collected. One reason Waste Management was awarded the contract was because they would help Lincoln County keep track of how many cans there are in the County using mapping technology. 

Readers questioned why the County would go with a company who would seemingly cut down on jobs by using automated loading. Again, one of the issues ADSI had was employee turnover so automation would ensure that wasn’t as much of a problem. 

Garbage collection issues returned on June 26, 2024 as the topic was discussed in a Lincoln County Board of Supervisors meeting. In August 2024, Waste Management’s field service manager visited the board and assured them they were coming to serve Lincoln County. 

A new contract

The official contract with Waste Management was signed on August 28, 2024 after ironing out a few issues with the contract. Waste Management explained new cans would be delivered to residents last week. 

Readers complained about the cost of a second can at $9.99 a month which would be billed through Waste Management. ADSI charged $8 a month for a second can in 2020. A second garbage can from Waste Management is less than the current monthly subscription to ESPN+ at $10.99 a month. 

Rates for Brookhaven residents will go up under Waste Management but it will not go up for Lincoln County residents right away. Lincoln County Administrator Daniel Calcote explained in a proposed budget published in August that the rate could go up down the road. Lincoln County has not raised the garbage rate for customers in a while, he noted.