A plan to assign trash haulers to specific parts of Cobb County will be presented to the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday, as they begin dig into proposed code amendment changes to county ordinances.
The work session will take place at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
The full agenda can be found by clicking here; the meeting also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.
Commissioners have already been hearing from citizens about the trash pickup proposal, which is designed to alleviate collection issues that have existed in Cobb for several years.
Under the proposed trash pickup amendment, four trash pickup zones would be created, and each would be designated a single hauler. Other haulers would not be allowed to service that zone.
Citizens organizing against that change, proposed by the head of the Cobb Sustainability, Waste and Beautification Department (click here to read), don’t like not having a choice and say their trash bills will go up.
A reader opposed to the change told East Cobb News that “many of us are happy with our small business haulers and don’t want the inefficient county to take over and make such demands to destroy free market competitive solutions.”
A website called Save My Cobb Trash Collector has been launched to fight the proposal. It was created by East Cobb resident Hill Wright, who said he’s heard from a number of citizens who also are upset by the proposal.
He said he’s spoken to trash haulers and they’re not happy either, with some of the smaller ones fearful they’ll be put out of business.
The website claims that Cobb is planning to charge customers an 18 percent additional fee to their trash bill.
That information isn’t in the proposed code amendment, but Wright told East Cobb News he’s heard that figure from speaking with county staffers.
The fee would be used in part to create a call center to handle citizen issues with trash pickup service.
The trash pickup change “would cause the service to get much worse,” he said. “They’re trying to solve the problem by creating a monopoly” that would be the lowest bidder.
“The lowest bidder will likely be a large company which is already not able to provide consistent service.”
American Disposal has been the dominant hauler in the Cobb area, buying up smaller competitors in recent years. But it’s also been the subject of numerous customer complaints.
Wright said some of the feedback he’s received on his website is from citizens who’ve told him they’ve left American and wouldn’t want to be forced to use them again.
Wright has used Hugh’s Garbage Service for years, and says he’s very happy with it. When he traveled frequently on business, he arranged for his trash to be picked up inside his home.
“It cost a little more, but it was worth it,” he said.
Wright said he understands the intent of the code amendment but wishes the county had been informing and working with the trash haulers.
“It’s going to hurt some people and destroy some small businesses,” he said.
The East Cobb area is serviced by several private haulers, and the Acworth-based Trash Taxi recently entered the community providing trash and recycling services.
Cobb code amendments are updated twice a year, and the current proposals cover 10 areas of the ordinance:
Administration; building regulations; fire prevention and protection; licenses, permits and businesses; nuisances; parks and recreation; solid waste; streets, sidewalks and public places and zoning.
The Cobb Community Development Agency is coming back to commissioners to attempt to regulate AirBNB short-term rentals, especially AirBNBs (Chapter 78).
The proposed amendment would require a short-term rental certificate from the county business license office, a local agent to be available 24 hours a day and following occupancy and vehicle limits.
Commissioners will hold specific public hearings on the code amendments on Sept. 13 and Sept. 27, before voting on them on the latter date.
Wendy, there are obviously lots of opinions on this story that I am hoping the Commissioners will be listening to. The real story behind all of this…to me, is Joann Birrell and her current 30 years career at Waste Management as their Community Relations Marketing Manager. This has conflict of interest written all over it. And reading through the Proposed Code Amendments, it seems like a done deal.
The question that needs to be asked is who on this board has a family member in the trash collection business?????
This sounds like the possibility that they drive some companies out of business, while letting those that are assigned areas the ability of charging whatever they want. Where is competition? Why not just fine the companies that don’t pick up areas?
Huh, I wonder if this “inefficient” county is the same one the anti city of East Cobb people supported? Oh and would this even be an issue if the city of East Cobb would have passed?
NO ONE WANTS THE NOISE AND NUISANCE OF 7 DIFFERENT HAULERS ON 7 DIFFERENT DAYS OF THE WEEK AT 7 DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY.
ENOUGH WITH THE IGNORANT, DELIBERATELY FOOLISH, LOUDMOUTH, “LIBERAL/COMMIE/ETC.” AND “ALL GOVERNMENT IS BAD” CRAP. IF YOU DESPISE GOVERNMENT, LEAVE COBB AND GO LIVE IN SOMALIA.
SOLUTION:
(1) LEGISLATE TWO PICKUP DAYS PER WEEK PER NEIGHBORHOOD.
(2) LEGISLATE THAT MARIETTA HANDLE ALL COMPLAINTS TO TIMELY RESOLUTION. NO TELLING RESIDENTS TO GO CHASE SOME SUBCONTRACTOR.
(3) LEGISLATE THAT MARIETTA CERTIFY THE SUBCONTRACTOR’S PERFORMANCE EVERY SIX MONTHS. ANYTHING BELOW A+ IS FINED, AND THE CONTRACT MAY BE CANCELED WITH PENALTY BY MARIETTA AT ANY TIME.
NOW, GET OFF THE COMPUTER AND SHOW UP AT THE PUBLIC MEETING.
Bob Smith ,
I took your advice and fled Cobb County.
Gangs , drugs , mass corruption, a police state, mass surveillance, mass incarceration,
It’s worth noting that almost Cobb’s entire government turned Democratic in 2020 . Or ‘Flipped’, as Greg Bluestein puts it . ‘Inverted ‘ as I put it .
Not southern Democrats, but Commie Democrats .
Plus a legislative & law enforcement exchange agreement with Israel ….
The same small cabal running things since the late 80s.
Who’s ignorant and deliberately foolish?
I did attend one commission meeting. It was like a mock communist tribunal with a heavy police presence.and haughty commissioners ( zoning for the SAE school )
God bless
Please follow our comments policy and refrain from name-calling. Also please keep your comments to the subject at hand. Thanks you.
http://eastcobbnews.com/comments-policy/
Please follow our comments policy and refrain from name-calling. Also please keep your comments to the subject at hand. Thanks you.
http://eastcobbnews.com/comments-policy/
Bob Smith ,
Perhaps you’d like to apply for Cobb’s new , ‘ OFFICER OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY , AND INCLUSION ,’position (I may apply myself.) ?
What are your thoughts on the passing of Marxist HATE CRIME LEGISLATION recently in Georgia?
Consider reading a history book sometime. No offense.
God bless
Hey Bob. Caps lock. Can you find it on your keyboard? Try turning it off.
We don’t need to hear you racist views. What does Somalia have to do with anything? Either speak to the issue(s) or shut up.
I am closing comments on this post, as the discussion is venturing far beyond the topic at hand.
Before commenting please read our comments policy.
Please do not use all caps when making comments.
If you oppose this, send emails:
https://www.savemycobbtrashcollector.com/call-to-action
We definitely do not need Cobb County Commission lining their pockets for Trash Removal
GOVERNMENT DOESN’T NEED TO BE INVOLVED
Remember how the Braves Stadium DEAL was done.
John H
What happened with the stadium deal ?
I believe commie- shun-er , and faux conservative, Joann Birrell was at one time , a lobbyist for a waste management company?
Please correct me if my memory fails .
Y’all couldn’t have been bilked by a nicer group of inclusive, progressive, freedom despising , lady gangsters .
Agree but Hill Wright with all the controversy he brings and lack of partiality should stay out of this. The commissioners caught on to his antics long ago.
This is absolutely COUNTER to the best interests of Cobb County citizens. Forcing us to use a single carrier eliminates competition, drives costs up, and drives service quality DOWN.
All this is is a method for some commissioner to get kick backs from large providers.
They are solving a problem that doesn’t exist, and creating additional problems.
Pat Dooley
I lived in a townhouse community for 2 years where the only allowed trash hauler was American Disposal. Not unusual to go without pickup for 2-4 days while trash waited in street & mail “could not be delivered!” Now I have a home, I am able to choose my provider who answers the phone & responds. This Commission idea is a bad one!!!
Lets put it on the ballot and have citizens vote on it? Instead of having the commissioners , who have a vested interest, $$$$! Ramming it down our throats!ray
Absolutely Ray, that is what should have been done with this issue.
It’s going to create a monopoly which is never a good thing.
They did the exact same thing in Gwinnett county, to residents living in unincorporated parts, about 10 years ago. You were assigned a hauler with no recourse. The county billed you 12 months in advance on your property taxes and they added a couple of bucks as an administrative fee for the county. Yet if you called the county with a complaint about the service, you were told to contact the garbage company directly. There is no incentive for the garbage company to provide good service as they have big contracts with the county and you have no choice. Horrible decision and glad I moved from Gwinnett.
I’m against limiting competition, but would be completely “FOR” mandating 1 day each week for pickup. Seems we have trash trucks in the neighborhood 4 days every week, so there are always those huge trash bins littering the sidewalks and driveways. Fix that. Please.
Limiting competition will inherently increase prices. We have plenty of examples where that is the situation.
Govt shouldn’t meddle, until the situation is so bad that no other method can fix it. We aren’t there yet.
Right now, the free market allows you to hire your trash collector. If you’re not happy, you can make a phone call or visit a website and hire a different collector that will provide better service.
If this proposal is accepted:
You will lose the freedom to hire the trash collector that provides the best service.
You will be stuck with whichever trash collector makes a backroom deal with the commissioners.
You will pay more for trash service. They’re already talking about hidden fees and this proposal hasn’t even been accepted yet. The next step is to start charging you $3-$5 (and eventually more) for each individual trash bag!
I’ve been down this road before, and I moved out of that county. It’s sad to see Cobb going the same direction. It’s not too late to stop this. Speak up and vote!
Absolutely not I just canceled my service with American Disposal for them to over charge me for service for a senior citizen I already live on n a fixed income and for my trash service to go up every three months is Ridiculous I refuse to change trash service and go back to America Disposal that is an awful company no one ever answer the phone when you have a complaint but American Disposal is always on time to charge your account for the next 3 months bill a month in advance. This is nonsense find something else to do with your time and life Telling Adults who they can and cannot choose for trash service is stupid!!!!!
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Simple as that.
It’s definitely broke. The commissioners are just looking at the first proposal. American is a single provider for many neighborhoods. Just because you have a small provider that does a good job does not mean the rest of the County should continue to suffer. I support licensing all the providers and tough standards they need to meet. All these complaints are being pushed by Mr Wright’s false characterization on his website. Let’s see what the commission does. Obviously they oppose this proposal already.
The proposal as written doesn’t solve the problem of a dearth of carriers in the rest of the county. All it does is specify that there will be four sections, and they will allow at least one carrier for each section. If there are no more carriers interested, this won’t make things better. If there ARE more carriers, but the county takes its time on the licensing (as it’s been well behind on for every other aspect), then it actually makes things worse. Standards are good. Lack of choice is bad. But as written, this does nothing to solve the latter problem at all.
I don’t trust Mr Wright or his websites. The information on the cost is far in excess of what is being proposed. His claim that he is hearing from people about this is only his word. He has been at war with the Cobb Commission for years, recently publically calling Lisa Cupid a dictator. He seems to exploit good deeds to promote his politiccs.
Mr .Gary Jones ,
Good deeds ? Nice spin . Well played .
My dear friend. Lisa Cupid , who I know personally , is certainly no dictator.
She has currently been placed at the head of the local ‘politburo.’ Cupid is ‘Leadership Cobb ‘ approved.
God bless
I did not like American Disposal and it is too costly for retirees. We like Trash Taxi in our neighborhood. Your proposal would make it a hardship on many families who are already struggling economically. This is the worse idea and obviously made by someone who is benefiting economically by forcing in this proposal.
I checked with Trash Taxi and even with a senior discount, my amount would have been more than I am paying now. Needless to say, I am staying with American Disposal!
Most of us have terrible service and the commissioners need to do something. Don’t listen to the loud voices here of a few many who probably are owners of these companies. We just want our trash picked up regularly and on time. Is that to much to ask? Why doesn’t the East Cobb news do some actual reporting about the majority of residents fed up with their service?
RJ,
Are you really asking this question of the East Cobb News ?
No offense, Wendy .
NO! This shall not stand. We older Cobbites who don’t get around too well anymore really appreciate folks like Hugh’s ‘at-home’ service. For us, Hugh’s is a necessity as walking and hauling big tubs of garbage up and down our driveways is simply not physically possible. They take away that service and this passes, I’ll sue the County. That’s an iron-clad promise.
Seriously. What a bunch of knuckleheads. Custom Disposal has been outstanding, and I think we are all grown up enough to choose who picks up,our trash. Can’t our commissioners find something better to do with their time?
Oh Hell know! That would result in another on the take scam! I’m perfectly able to chose and monitor my trash pick up company. I do not need a bunch greedy commissioners involved in my business!! After their recent zoning decisions I demand replacement of the current commissioners!
Mike G ,
LOL !
You made me laugh . I needed that .
..“ demand replacement?” …“Greedy commissioners .”
Did you miss the Braves stadium push ? Possibly the worst stadium deal ever made . By the way , how’s the Tim Lee senior center ?
Never has a US citizenry been so abused and taken advantage of by its own government and legal system .
I’m open to debate. Always.
God bless .
Consider that former Cobb commissioner, Bob Ott displayed more concern and humanity for Afghan refugees than he ever did for the citizens of Cobb County. Is Susan McCoy currently incarcerated? Does anyone know ?
These folks work exclusively for the NWO .