The Cobb Board of Commissioners and the leadership of the county’s solid waste department have scheduled a “summit” next week with private trash disposal companies.
Cobb government said in a release on Friday that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m. at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway).
The county release said trash company leaders are being summoned “to address a history of complaints by residents in Cobb County of missed pickups, poor customer service, and lack of recycling services.”
The meeting comes several days after commissioners heard a proposed code amendment change that would limit trash pickup services to one private hauler for each of the four commission districts.
But at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Jonathan Jenkins, Director of the Cobb Sustainability, Waste, and Beautification Department, said he had not met with trash companies since 2019, and did not seek their input before proposing the code amendment changes.
“About 20 haulers in Cobb County could be put out of business,” said John Swierenga, an East Cobb resident and owner of Trash Taxi, during a public comment period.
“Large capital [would be] needed to bid on these contracts,” he said. “We face restrictions because there’s no disposal capability we have.”
Swierenga and his brothers started Trash Taxi in 2004, and the company serves around 16,000 customers, mostly in northwest Cobb. Trash Taxi recently expanded into some areas of East Cobb.
He estimated that between 90,000 to 100,000 Cobb citizens get their trash service from small haulers, and that big companies are struggling.
One them, Swierenga said, called him to ask if he could send Trash Taxi trucks to Gwinnett County to help pick up their garbage.
Jenkins said he got the idea for dedicated haulers for a particular area of the county from Gwinnett, which recently implemented that ordinance.
“This proposal, if enacted,” Swierenga said of the Cobb proposal, “could be a colossal failure.”
Citizen complaints have focused strongly on American Disposal, one of the bigger haulers that has bought up smaller competitors to consolidate its market position.
Cobb citizens opposed to the county designating trash service also addressed commissioners Tuesday, including Hill Wright of East Cobb.
“Just stop,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re doing.”
Earlier Tuesday, at a work session on code amendments, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb wanted the trash proposal to be tabled until January.
She and fellow Republican Commissioner Keli Gambrill said they do not support eliminating competition in trash service, and other commissioners expressed concern about the proposal.
But Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said there would be enough time to modify the proposal before a scheduled vote Sept. 27.
Wednesday’s meeting is being billed as a work session. It is open to the public, but there will be no public comment period.
The meeting can be seen on Cobb TV and citizens can e-mail trashcomplaints@cobbcounty.org with comments and feedback.
Related:
- Birrell asks for Cobb to delay proposed trash service changes
- Proposed changes to Cobb trash service draw citizen opposition
- $1 billion in 2022 Cobb property tax bills issued; due Oct. 15
- Cobb settles lawsuit with Uber driver; agrees to pay $250K
- Cobb DOT to start Bill Murdock-Pine Road realignment
- East Piedmont Road resurfacing project continues
- East Cobb resurfacing projects OK’d with 2022 SPLOST funds
- Cobb commissioners adopt $1.2 billion fiscal year budget
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There is absolutely NO reason for the Cobb County Government to create, own and operate a county-wide TRASH service. The county government has enough
problems trying to keep cobb operating properly. I simply changed my service from American (the worst service in my
50 years) in Cobb county to Hugh’s. I no longer have poor service. I don’t want my county government to get their
hands dirty playing in the garbage business.
After the board indicated they opposed the trash plan I believe Hill Wright is continuing to demagogue this issue for political gain.
I also don’t like the unnecessary number of garbage trucks running up and down the hill in my subdivision. But I also mostly like my existing company that picks up one day a week (starts with a C). I have many neighbors that use a larger company (starts with an A) and they sometimes miss their Friday pickup and garbage sits on the streets for a day or two before they get to it. So I’m all for a single provider but I worry about pricing and on time pickup. Seems we would need strong regulation to make sure we don’t get ripped off and have inferior service.
Mr Wright is well know for his politiccs and is using this as a way to bash the democratic commissioners. His condisending attitude towards them and others who disagree with him are legendary.
I attended the meeting Tuesday. I am so glad they came to their senses dropped the no competition plan. It will be interesting to see what the providers have to say at the meetings, particularly American.
I spoke with our commissioner Friday. The original plan had many problems including the need for a public vote. The plan the county is working on now involves leaving competition as is but requiring a two day window for each neighborhood area. Parking will be limited at tight turn around points where needed. The county will require haulers to provide to answer phones 9-5 within a designated time. The county will contract with a hauler for missed pickups which will be charged to an escrow account each hauler will provide. The county will provide additional lines at the landfill to speed up turn around time. The changes will be discussed at a meeting next week and voted on in September.
Without good people like Hugh’s Waste Disposal who will pick up garbage at you ‘door’ we will have to sell our house and move away from Cobb County. Being on the elderly side, my wife and I simply cannot lug those big garbage carts to the curb and back as we live on a fairly steep hill. We are dead set against more creeping socialistic governmental dominance trying to end Capitalism in this market and fear all the pitfalls of a government bureaucracy with it’s waste, kick-backs to politicians and a turning of government backs on the needs of citizens. This is Brandon-like government overreach and must NOT happen.
In fact, if this step is taken, we may have to sue Cobb County – a place we’ve called home SWEET home for 45 years.
Hill, so this is all about Brandon to you?
WE will use whatever trash service we want. NO more government intervention. In Mableton we use a local service and they are OUTSTANDING. Reliable Sanitation. These giant national waster companies are worthless. Ask anyone. #SUPPORTLOCAL
Thursday is our trash day. They didn’t come. About 50% of the time, they don’t.
We leave the bins out on Friday too and they often come then.
I realize that during holiday weeks, the pickup day should be shifted, but there weren’t any holidays this week.
Some other neighbors have it worse. There trash day is Friday and their company seems to ignore them.
Both companies are in the “big boy” league, not Joe’s Trash Pickup.
In the last 5 yrs, trash pick costs have approximately doubled AND they’ve added a fuel surcharge above that.
Something smells and it isn’t just the trash.
I am in Mableton and I do not see we are mentioned. I have tried several trash companies in all the years I have lived here (since 1967) The large companies are disgusting…they pickup at their convenience rather than a schedule and their accounting is terrible. I have DIAMOND DISPOSALS AND THEY ARE WONDERFUL. I do not know how large or small they are but their schedule is firm, their customer service is great and personal. their pu driver treats me (an old woman) with respect As for pricing,my rate has raised only $2.00 per quarter but with the price of gas it might increase again, but if so I can understand . In my case..IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT…….Virginia Heard 367 Camilla Circle, SW Mableton, Ga 30126