On January 24, 2024, the Board of Mayors and Commissioners (BOMC) heard recommendations from City Manager Patrick Bryant on proposed changes to the public works program, including contracting solid waste and recycling services. This past fall, the city requested proposals to determine the most cost-effective and efficient way to manage the city’s solid waste disposal. The proposals showed contracting with an outside vendor would provide cost savings while maintaining high-level quality services for the city. 

Marcel Jackson, director of Public Works, has been instrumental in developing the plan alongside Bryant to create efficiencies within the department. “We’ve been diligently working on a solution for the past year, and we believe this plan will pay dividends for the long-term fiscal health of the city and our ability to sustain ourselves as a beautiful functioning community,” noted Bryant.

The cost of providing the current sanitation program is not fully covered by the sanitation fee. However, if the BOMC accepts the staff’s recommendation, the sanitation fee will not only be reduced but will completely cover the costs of sanitation services. Changes to the delivery of sanitation services will allow remaining Public Works staff to focus on non-sanitation tasks such as stormwater maintenance, planting, pruning, roadwork, sidewalk improvements, tree work, events support, facilities management, and other improvements. The city is also considering hiring a landscape company to handle more complex landscaping tasks that require specialized expertise.  

For Jackson, the changes are welcome. In fact, Jackson started discussing how to bring a more sustainable, fiscally responsible model to the city with Bryant when he first began in 2020. Before coming to Avondale Estates, he helped lead a similar change to outsourced services in Montezuma, Georgia. “Change can be uncomfortable when you don’t know what to expect. But I’m confident this is the right thing to do to provide the citizens with the best bang for their buck,” said Jackson. Jackson says the Public Works staff will work side-by-side with the contractor to ensure a smooth transition. “We’ve spent many hours creating a solution that fits within the city’s budget and resources while maintaining high quality solid waste services that the city’s residents have come to expect. This new proposal is a win-win for the residents and our team. We take pride in our work for the city and are excited to focus on items we’ve been unable to address,” explained Jackson. 

Key takeaways from the proposed changes: 

• Homeowners will see a reduction of approximately $220 annually in their current sanitation fee. 
• Solid waste pickup will move to once a week, and recycling will remain once weekly. 
• Bulk pickup will be outsourced to the new company, and fees will decrease significantly.  
• The city will still provide the same yard waste pickup service.  
• Commercial businesses will still have multiple sanitation service options. 
• The city will retain ten positions in the Public Works department, allowing them to shift focus to other much-needed public works tasks. 
• Current staff not retained by the city will have the guaranteed option to work for the sanitation contractor, who has pledged to offer compensation packages starting at $17 per hour. 
• All these services will come under the current amount allocated for them in the 2024 adopted budget.  

Discussions on this topic will continue with the BOMC over the next month. Find the details of the proposed plan within the frequently asked questions on the Public Works Project web page.