Supervisors seek ideas on easing garbage woes
By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Feb. 13, 2004
Representatives from a consulting firm told supervisors Thursday that a solid waste collection authority may ease Lauderdale County's garbage collection problems.
Supervisors, who say they are concerned over rising collection costs and illegal dumping at the county's green dumpster sites, met with A.C. "Butch" Lambert, president of Butch Lambert &Associates. An environmental and solid waste service consulting firm based in Nashville, Tenn., Lambert's business also has offices in Jackson and Atlanta.
Lambert founded the firm in 1998 after running his own solid waste heavy equipment business and being employed by Waste Management Inc., for many years.
Jim McNaughton, vice president of corporate development for the firm, also talked to supervisors about reviewing the county's garbage collection system to make recommendations to help the county optimize its service.
McNaughton formerly managed several collection companies, transfer stations and landfills for Browning Ferris Industries Inc.
McNaughton said Meridian and Lauderdale County should consider developing a solid waste authority similar to the Golden Triangle Solid Waste Authority based in Lowndes County in northeast Mississippi.
He said the member counties of the Golden Triangle Solid Waste Authority do their own solid waste collection from residential and commercial customers, and that they have branched out into the local area.
District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt and District 1 Supervisor Eddie Harper serve on the county's solid waste committee. Hitt proposed that he and Harper get input from the other supervisors and meet with representatives of the firm a second time to pinpoint garbage issues that should be examined.
Supervisors want to try to cut the cost of a study the firm originally proposed last year for a fee of $20,000. They are researching the possibility that grant money may be available from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality to help fund the study.
