Trash bills going up in rural parts of county

By MARTY FINLEY

mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com

HARDIN COUNTY — Hardin County residents could see a slight increase in their trash collection bills this fall.

The county collected five bids on a new contract for the county’s trash collection, which will take effect Oct. 1.

Bob Hall, solid waste coordinator, said the lowest bid was $17.97 per month by RR Waste Solutions, a company based in Austin, Texas. The current waste hauler, Waste Transport, has been charging less than $17 per month, which means residents will be paying about $1 more per month under the new agreement.

“It’s not a substantial increase, but it is an increase,” Hall said.

The bids opened Wednesday had Waste Transport at $18.35; Eco-Tech of Louisville, $18.95; Scott Waste Service of Bowling Green, $21.49; and local hauler Rumpke, $24. The franchise covers areas outside the municipal limits of local cities.

The contracts are re-bid every three years. Hall said county government received more bids for the contract than normal.

“I was pleased with the way bids came out,” he said.

The bids will move to Fiscal Court and the Solid Waste Committee, headed by County Commissioner Bill Brandenburg, for discussion.

The county plans to award the contract Aug. 12.

In addition to awarding the new contract for trash collection, Hall said the gate rate — the fee charged to a waste hauler by a landfill — will go up from $26.75 per ton to $28.25 per ton at Pearl Hollow Landfill on Oct. 1.

A portion of the gate rate goes to the county and a portion goes to the manager of the landfill, while $1.75 of the $28.25 will be sent to Frankfort for an environmental remediation fee, Hall said.

Santek Landfill Solutions, a company based in Cleveland, Tenn., will take control of the landfill Oct. 1. The change came after current manager, Rumpke, asked the county to re-bid the project earlier this year. Santek was awarded the contract in a Fiscal Court meeting June 10.

Marty Finley can be reached at (270) 505-1762.