BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Supervisor Doug Falvey said this weekend was the best one he has had in a while. He said he received one phone call complaining about trash pickup over the weekend during Monday’s regularly scheduled board meeting. Complaints of trash pickup, or lack thereof by Arrow Disposal Services Incorporated, have been an ongoing issue in Lincoln County and Brookhaven. 

Falvey said he sympathizes with ADSI and understands their issues with labor and trucks breaking down. He told ADSI’s Jim Moore that he has gotten about 15 phone calls on the weekend complaining about missed pickups so he was thankful things have gotten better. 

Moore appeared before the board of supervisors to answer any questions and give an update on where the company was at. Falvey said the county needed help from ADSI to fix the garbage pickup problem.

“I understand what you are saying. We are struggling with repairs and quality workers,” Moore said. “I agree we need to pick up the trash as stated in the contract. There has been a breakdown in labor. People are resigning over the phone instead of manning up and giving a two weeks notice in person. I can assure you we are working on the issues every day. I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I don’t think it is a train. It is going to get better.” 

Moore said he believes one of the reasons this ordeal has been so difficult is ADSI’s previous track record of good service. Dead end roads have been overlooked by ADSI during the labor turnover and pickups have been delayed from Thursdays and Fridays to into the weekend. 

ADSI area manager Charles Lungrin said they pay better than the minimum wage. Moore said he understands the work is hard and dangerous especially when the summer heat is in triple digits. Supervisor Eddie Brown said he understood the labor issue because he was short workers over the summer. 

Falvey told Moore he didn’t want to lose ADSI but things did not need to get out of hand. Brown agreed and said the county needs to work with ADSI to resolve the problems. 

“We can’t jump from garbage company to garbage company,” Brown said. “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.” 

District 2 Supervisor Nolan Williamson said he foresees an increase in costs for garbage pickup and the jail, so the county needs to be prepared. Brown said they need to be in good standing with ADSI when the next increase comes to justify it to the taxpayers. 

“If we do have a garbage increase the fees are set enough to cover the cost of garbage,” Brown said. “We don’t make any money off of it.”