News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Livingston had been exploring the idea of using a private contractor to get the city out of the sanitation business, but that plan has been scrapped.
The city has been short on garbage trucks to pickup residential trash. Concerns have also increased about trash overflow issues at commercial and multi-unit residential properties. Livingston Mayor Curtis Hayes said he thought he had a deal with a private contractor to help fix the issues, but the deal fell through.
“So the price that was quoted to me verbally and when we actually sat down at the table the next day were just two totally different prices, so there was a misunderstanding,” Hayes said.
Hayes said the verbal quote was $40,000 per year. Then, the price went to $22,000 per month.
“That seemed very intriguing to me and somewhat unreal,” Hayes said. “Come to find out it was. Like I said there was a misunderstanding and that number gave to me was truly nonexistent.”
Hayes said the city will continue to pick up garbage and purchase a new garbage truck. Hayes said he hopes to have a new garbage truck added to the fleet in the next six months.
“The issue was, we’ve been waiting a year and a half on a garbage truck,” Hayes said. “That’s how backed up the manufacturers are. So, with seeing that and possibly not getting one to Spring ’24, I though we’d just explore options a bit, but it came back and we will be continuing the services that we got.”
Even with a new truck, the issue of keeping the fleet rolling remains a concern.
“Maintenance on our older truck are starting to kind of nickel and dime us more than we like,” Hayes said. “It’s been on the budget for the last two fiscal years to get a garbage truck. We’ve just not been able to get one.”
Hayes said he is currently looking into the city’s commercial pricing for trash pick up. That issue remains something that needs to be discussed, Hayes said.
