Selma prepares to change garbage collection companies

The city of Selma is working on a bid to hire a new garbage collection service.

Martin Environmental is currently providing garbage service without a contract, and Mayor Johnny Moss III says the firm is charging the city $50,000 to $60,000 per month to collect for citizens who haven't paid and even properties without houses.

A draft of the bid for a new firm states that bidders must have experience in servicing a city with up to 6,000 households and at least 100 front-load dumpsters.

Bidders will be rated on their qualifications, soundness of approach, efficiency, integrity, adaptability, customer focus and cost to residents. The contract would be for two years with an option to extend for up to three additional years in one-year increments.

The contractor will be responsible for billing customers, and the city won’t pay unpaid fees, according to the bid.

Moss asked the council to get him any changes to the bid by the end of this week.

Moss told the Selma Rotary Club on Monday that the charges would likely be on the sewer/water bill for ease. The city has a long-term goal of bringing garbage collection back under city control but first needs to raise the funds to purchase two trucks, which could be done over the next two years.