The city of Jackson said it has a temporary deal to keep Richard’s Disposal picking up trash in the Capital City, but it is a contentious deal at best, and one that is still not approved.The draft settlement says the city will pay Richard’s Disposal $4.8 million for work done since April and keep doing the job of collection trash, while the legal fighting continues.But several city council leaders aren’t happy about it. “I do know it is back and forth, private and public, the whole thing,” said Jackson resident Sarah Jane Alston. “I really would like for them to get along down there and make the right choices because you don’t know how much it is going to cost you.”Richard’s Disposal, the mayor’s choice of garbage collection, continues to create controversy after threatening to cut off trash collection in Jackson last week unless the company got paid. It is the subject of a long, drawn-out legal fight between Richard’s that goes on, even though the Jackson City Council and the company worked out the temporary settlement.”This is chaos. We should not be here. We didn’t have to be here,” said Councilman Vernon Hartley.”There was never a vote taken for a settlement at no time,” Councilman Kenneth Stokes said.”It won’t be official until all parties have accepted and the judge has signed off on the final settlement,” said council president Ashby Foote.Several council members made it clear they do not want to sign off on a long deal with the company. They said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba forced into the city’s garbage collection role. A rally by Richard’s Disposal on Sunday hoped to drive through their position that they want a six-year deal.”Everything that has gone on since Jan. 18 of this year should not have gone on. Because on Jan. 18, Richard’s Disposal should have gotten the six-year contract. Done deal. Over and done with, because it had the best proposal,” said John Walker, an attorney for the company.But that is apparently not how the city council sees it. Perhaps poised to sign-off on a temporary garbage collection deal while they continue their legal fighting in both state and federal courts.”I want to go back to the original way the RFP was set up. If the mayor doesn’t get his choice, then you go to the next ranked vendor that presented a proposal,” Foote said.”This is not the way you operate government. You can’t just bring in someone, put them to work and then they force you to pay them,” Hartley said.The mayor’s office said Monday they had no comment because they have not seen the written agreement. A federal court judge has to approve the draft.
The city of Jackson said it has a temporary deal to keep Richard’s Disposal picking up trash in the Capital City, but it is a contentious deal at best, and one that is still not approved.
The draft settlement says the city will pay Richard’s Disposal $4.8 million for work done since April and keep doing the job of collection trash, while the legal fighting continues.
But several city council leaders aren’t happy about it.
“I do know it is back and forth, private and public, the whole thing,” said Jackson resident Sarah Jane Alston. “I really would like for them to get along down there and make the right choices because you don’t know how much it is going to cost you.”
Richard’s Disposal, the mayor’s choice of garbage collection, continues to create controversy after threatening to cut off trash collection in Jackson last week unless the company got paid. It is the subject of a long, drawn-out legal fight between Richard’s that goes on, even though the Jackson City Council and the company worked out the temporary settlement.
“This is chaos. We should not be here. We didn’t have to be here,” said Councilman Vernon Hartley.
“There was never a vote taken for a settlement at no time,” Councilman Kenneth Stokes said.
“It won’t be official until all parties have accepted and the judge has signed off on the final settlement,” said council president Ashby Foote.
Several council members made it clear they do not want to sign off on a long deal with the company. They said Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba forced into the city’s garbage collection role.
A rally by Richard’s Disposal on Sunday hoped to drive through their position that they want a six-year deal.
“Everything that has gone on since Jan. 18 of this year should not have gone on. Because on Jan. 18, Richard’s Disposal should have gotten the six-year contract. Done deal. Over and done with, because it had the best proposal,” said John Walker, an attorney for the company.
But that is apparently not how the city council sees it. Perhaps poised to sign-off on a temporary garbage collection deal while they continue their legal fighting in both state and federal courts.
“I want to go back to the original way the RFP was set up. If the mayor doesn’t get his choice, then you go to the next ranked vendor that presented a proposal,” Foote said.
“This is not the way you operate government. You can’t just bring in someone, put them to work and then they force you to pay them,” Hartley said.
The mayor’s office said Monday they had no comment because they have not seen the written agreement. A federal court judge has to approve the draft.
