With weeks to go before contract expires, mayor not saying who won trash RFP - WLBT
With weeks to go before contract expires, mayor not saying who won trash RFP
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is remaining mum on who has been selected as the city’s next garbage contractor.
At a press conference Tuesday, Lumumba said he had received the name of the firm that received top scores in the recent RFP evaluation.
However, he says he won’t reveal the name until he tells the council and contract negotiations begin.
“They have been selected. This week, we’ll have our legal team [reach out to their] legal team and see if they can meet the finer points of the contract negotiations before put it up to the council,” he said. “Prayerfully, we can have it on the next council meeting [agenda], and that is working on an aggressive timeline.”
Lumumba said the firm was evaluated by a committee made up of city officials, and that the winning proposal comes from a firm with “years of experience in garbage collections” and that they offered “one of the lower prices that we can get at this particular moment in time.”
The administration issued a request for proposals in November. Two firms responded: National Waste United and Richard’s Disposal.
Richard’s is currently picking up trash as part of a one-year emergency contract. That agreement ends on March 31.
Lumumba says the new contract will be taken to the council well before that date. He says he’s not releasing the name beforehand, in part, because of how the news might be accepted.
The council has voted down the mayor’s selections on the previous two RFPs, including the 2021 RFP which was won by Richard’s Disposal.
Some council members argued the firm didn’t have the experience, and that they didn’t want residents to have to use the carts that were required under the agreement. Lumumba said he chose the contract based on price.
“I’m agnostic to company. What I am... is pro best price. I’m pro a firm that can execute the best service,” he said. “That’s the only thing that makes a difference to me.”
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