The new solid waste transfer station is expected to begin operation in a few months located in the Smithville Industrial Park on Highway 70 east behind Tenneco Automotive.
From the beginning, the county has planned to operate the transfer station itself, but bids are now being sought from companies interested in running it for the county. If the county should opt to operate the transfer station, it will still need to contract with a company to haul away the solid waste.
“The solid waste committee has met several times in the last couple or three months to discuss the transfer station operation. We bid the hauling and also the hauling and operation of the transfer station and we did not receive any proposals. I think that was back last August or September. Then I was contacted by a couple of companies that were interested in doing something to that effect. They have presented some proposals and have shown some interest. But I have talked to the auditor and he has said we’ll need to re-bid it even though we bid it the first time and didn’t receive any proposals. Once we advertise and receive bids we’ll have a bid opening in early January. We’ll meet with the Solid Waste Committee and get their recommendation and then bring it back before the commission,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling during Monday night’s monthly county commission meeting.
In August, 2014 the county commission voted to enter into a five year contract with Smith County to dispose of DeKalb County’s household solid waste at the rate of $29.00 a ton after the transfer station becomes operational.
According to County Mayor Stribling, once the transfer station is open for the disposal of household waste, the existing landfill can still be used for dumping construction materials and other non-household garbage until a Class III/IV site is developed in a new cell there.
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