County to terminate GFL waste management contract
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By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
During Tuesday evening’s County Commission meeting, action was taken to begin the process of potentially getting a different company to provide waste management services in the county.
Two items were unanimously approved to be added to the short agenda, and one of those was presented by Commissioner Ronnie Joiner. He proposed adding to the agenda to terminate the solid waste collection and disposal contract with GFL Southeast Inc., to be effective March 31, 2023, and for the commission chairperson to notify them by certified mail.
During discussion, Joiner said that he knew the county has to notify GFL 90 days before the end of the contract if the county wants to terminate it.
“We’ve had trouble with them and all that kind of stuff, so we need to see if we can get something done and allow somebody else the chance to bid on it,” Joiner stated.
County attorney John K. Johnson mentioned that the commission has discussed it a few times previously. He confirmed that the current term ends March 31, 2023, and that the requirement in the existing contract states that the county must terminate the contract at the end of the current term and notify GFL at least 90 days in advance.
“By doing it now, if y’all decide to, then we can go ahead and get the letter ready,” Johnson said. “That gives you plenty of time to do it, plenty of time to have work sessions to talk about what you want in the new waste contract, and it has to be competitively bid. So that’s one plus in going ahead and making your decision.”
“I know that in the past there’s been a lot of trouble and a lot of complaints,” he added. “Amy [Gilliland, county administrator] is still getting complaints. If you decide to terminate now, it gives you plenty of time to get your plans together and work up your specs on what you’re going to put into the new competitive bid contract.”
In further discussion, Commissioner Unzell Kelley said that when the commission met last year he thought that was the consensus from the commission, to “go ahead and get a letter in before the actual time came up again.” He added that he believed the county needed to prepare the letter so that they can move forward.
Kelley said they could then proceed with getting a scope of work together in terms of what they want to see “as it relates to services here in Coosa County.” He said that they need to give everyone a fair opportunity to bid on it, as well.
Johnson said that he would prepare a proper letter notifying GFL of the commission’s actions at Tuesday evening’s meeting so that the company will have it in plenty of time and it “won’t slip through the cracks.”
He said the commission will then need to think about its work session and getting together the terms of a new agreement to use as specifications when the county sends it out to bid.
After discussion, Joiner made a motion to allow the county attorney to write the proper letter to notify GFL that the county plans to terminate the contract on March 31, 2023. Commissioner Lamar Daugherty seconded the motion, and it was unanimously approved, with Commission Chair Randall Dunham unable to attend the meeting.
In other business, the commission heard from Perry Brasfield with Avenu Insights and Analytics, formerly RDS, regarding a Tax Revenue Enhancement Agreement – Tobacco Tax Revenue Administration.
Brasfield said that they have been working with Coosa County since 2016 and that he wanted to talk to them about tobacco tax administration work and looking into doing that for the county.
He said that they look for ways to help with revenue for the county, adding that Coosa is one of the counties in the state for which the state Department of Revenue still collects tobacco tax.
Brasfield said that in 2020 the Department of Revenue collected $39,229 in tobacco tax for Coosa County. Last year the department only collected $30,530, which he described as a “pretty steep drop off.”
He said that Avenu wants to make sure it can hopefully collect that for the county and see another uptick in tobacco tax revenue.
Brasfield explained that the cost would be a flat percentage of the monthly gross, which is currently a flat rate of 1.85%. He said the Department of Revenue currently collects a 2% flat fee, so the county would get a small discount comparatively.
During brief discussion, Commissioner Kelley said that he appreciates what Avenu does and that the company was able to increase the county’s revenue stream with taxes it was missing out on, which he said has been a “big benefit” to the county. He added that he thought it would be in the county’s best interest to approve the agreement to allow Avenu to collect the county’s tobacco tax.
Following Brasfield’s presentation and discussion, the commission unanimously approved entering into the agreement with Avenu for the company to perform remittance processing for tobacco taxes in the county.
The other item unanimously approved being added to the agenda was proposed by Commission Vice Chair Bertha K. McElrath for Vell’s Lounge “for approval of application for ABC.”
During discussion McElrath explained that she had held a town hall meeting Monday evening at Vell’s Lounge to give anyone the opportunity to come out and express any concerns they may have. She said prior to that meeting she had it run in the newspaper for two weeks and also shared the information on Facebook and on the county’s website.
She said that when she went to the area Monday night for that town hall meeting she noticed there were numerous changed from what she had seen in the past, adding that the owner has “done quite a bit of work there.” She said she knew Commissioner Daugherty did also do by and check it.
McElrath asked Sheriff Michael Howell to give his thoughts on it. Howell said that he did not see any issues that would cause them not to be approved for their license.
After brief discussion, the commission unanimously approved Vell’s Lounge application for an ABC license.
Also Tuesday evening, Stephen Lowery was included under the public comment portion of the meeting. He addressed the commission stating that he wanted to inquire about where the county is “on the ambulance situation” and if it was on track to get the tag fee on the ballot.
Commissioner Joiner said that everything has been approved to go forward with it. He said they are going to try to get the tag fee on the May ballot, but if not then it will be in November.
Joiner further mentioned it being a process, but stated that they are “going on with it.”
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Coosa County Commission will be held at 9:30 a.m. February 8.
