Residents of Limestone County will see a major change in their garbage pickup starting in April 2023 as the Limestone County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to establish the county’s own solid waste collection department. This decision comes as CCS Garbage Services, Inc., owner Steve Gatlin has announced his retirement after almost forty years of providing garbage services to Limestone County.

The county was faced with two options: contract the services to another company or bring garbage collection in-house by creating a new department. County engineer Marc Massey told the commission that bringing garbage collection services in-house would likely keep fees to the customer lower.

“The feeling we get is that our contract price is lower than what it would take for us to be able to continue collecting at the same rate and continue to have a contract garbage hauler,” Massey said.

He continued, “If we were to take it on ourselves, first we would have to establish the department. Once we do that, we have to get our equipment, and the way we would approach it is through automatic side loaders.”

The cost for trucks is approximately $3.3 million and 20,000 95 gallon side-load cans will cost approximately $1.7 million.

“I believe, based on our current format, we would have the costs there to operate at the current garbage rates and provide an automatic side-load service to each household,” Massey said. “This is the most labor intensive option. I think that, financially, it is doable. It is a service that will pay for itself without us having to raise rates, but there are the negatives of the labor intensive process and the changeover process. We have until April 1 to be ready to go.”

Cans could be distributed as early as February, and until the county can acquire the 11 trucks the department will need, some trucks will be leased. Massey hopes to keep the amount of time and number of trucks being leased at a minimum.

“Either option, the county attorney and myself are going to be busy for the foreseeable future to make sure we don’t drop the ball come April 1. The last thing we want is for people to expect garbage pickup and it not be there that week,” Massey said.

The commission agreed to establish a solid waste collection service and a solid waste collection department. They also approved seeking financing for trucks and containers, purchase orders for purchasing cooperative vendors for truck chassis, truck beds, and solid waste containers, and leasing eight collection trucks.

The Limestone County Commission also approved the following agenda items.

Contracts, agreements, and grants

• Enter into a membership agreement with AirMedCare Network in order to allow AirMedCare Network to provide county employees an option to obtain AirMedCare Network services.

Budget revisions

• An appropriation in the amount of $58,691.25 to be applied to the CDBG grant monies for the development of wastewater system improvements at the Pryor Field Regional Airport.

Personnel actions

• Hire Kolby Ramsey and Curtis Boyd as corrections officers, effective Dec. 5, 2022, pending a drug screening.

Engineer’s report

• Preliminary and final approval for New Garden Road Subdivision East creating three lots in District 1 located on the south side of New Garden Road west of Elkton Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for New Garden Road Subdivision West creating three lots in District 1 located on the south side of New Garden Road west of Elkton Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for Clements Heights Subdivision replat of Lot 3 creating two lots in District 4 on the north side of Allison Loop west of Cox Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for Kelly Place Subdivision creating two lots in District 1 on the west side of Holt Road just north of Black Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for Heath Clem Farm Subdivision creating two lots in District 1 on the west side of Elkton Road just south of Piney Chapel Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for Baker Subdivision creating one lot in District 1 on the west side of Mooresville Road north of Bain Road.

• Preliminary and final approval for Hubbard Landing creating four lots in District 1 on the east side of AL Hwy 251 between Pinedale Road and Sterling Road.

• Final approval for Green Cove Subdivision replat of Arts Corner Lots 7-11, a major subdivision, creating 22 lots in District 2 on the east side of Cambridge Lane approximately 725’ north of Hwy 72.

Other business

• Sell a commercial lot on Clyde Mabry Drive to Scout Pest Control.

The next Limestone County Commission meeting is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2022, at 9 a.m. at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex.