Photo courtesy of Amwaste
The Chelsea City Council voted 3-2 Monday morning to switch garbage service providers from Republic Services to Amwaste.
Beginning Sept. 1, Amwaste will start providing weekly solid waste collection and disposal services for Chelsea residents at a cost of $21.21 per month per household. The new contract does not include recycling services, Mayor Cody Sumners said.
Chelsea’s contract with Republic Services ends on Aug. 31, so city officials decided to seek bids from other garbage collection companies.
Council members Scott Weygand, Chris Grace and Johnna Barnes voted in favor of going with Amwaste, while council members Arthur Fisher Jr. and Casey Morris voted against that change.
Grace, who made the motion to go with Amwaste, said his decision was based on the cost of service for Chelsea residents. The current contract with Republic Services is $117.95 per quarter, which amounts to $39.32 per month, and Republic submitted a new bid for $30 per month going forward, but Amwaste had the lowest bid.
“This decision is based on the best economic outcome for our citizens as we’re contemplating raising taxes for support of public safety and other services in our city,” Grace said. “This bid represents the lowest bid economically to our citizens.”
Fisher said he favored going with the second lowest bidder, 1 2 1 Disposal Services at $23.25 per month, because of the feedback he received from Chelsea residents and residents of other cities, but AmWaste will be a suitable choice for the community, he said.
“I think that Amwaste will do a great job and just uphold the reputation that they are continuously trying to build within the state of Alabama,” Fisher said.
Rick Sweeney, Amwaste’s corporate vice president of operations, said his company is enthusiastic about serving Chelsea.
“We’ve been looking forward to it since we submitted our proposal for the bid, and we’re excited about this opportunity,” he said. “I hope it’s viewed as a good savings opportunity for them for what they are currently paying for the similar service provisions and that we’ve got an opportunity to show a high level of service for the citizens.”
Editor's note: This story was updated at 3:10 p.m. to correct information about which company Arthur Fisher favored (1 2 1 Disposal Services) and to provide information about the bids submitted by 1 2 1 Disposal Services and Republic Services.
