Columbus could pay up to $3.6 million for private yard waste services. Here are the details
The city of Columbus has doubled its yard waste business with a West Point-based company, agreeing to pay up to $3.6 million a year after approving a new contract at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Councilors approved a measure giving private waste solutions company AmWaste five additional yard waste routes at a monthly rate of $148,150. If needed for a full year, the city would pay close to $1.8 million.
Deputy City Manager Lisa Goodwin told the Ledger-Enquirer that the city did not plan to renew the contract after 12 months.
The council approved its first contract with AmWaste in May for close to $1.8 million a year. That contract could be renewed for an additional four years, according to city documents.
AmWaste will provide three-man crews for each of the additional trucks, and the company will not pay for disposal at the Granite Bluff facility under Tuesday’s agreement.
The private company will now handle ten of the county’s 14 yard waste routes. AmWaste could begin collecting all of its new routes by late August, Public Works Director Michael Criddle told council.
The goal of the new contract is to free up resources for Columbus’ Public Works Department to handle bulk waste pickup, which is experiencing the longest delays, Criddle said as he appealed to the council to approve the measure.
The county is, on average, four to six weeks behind with bulk waste pickups, he said. Amwaste is behind 1.5 to 2 weeks on its yard waste routes, and city yard waste crews are two days behind. Several issues, including driver shortages, have caused the delays.
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This story was originally published July 28, 2021 at 2:06 PM.