Council Gives Mayor Contract Power

— At a special meeting on Friday afternoon, the City Council gave the mayor the authority to negotiate a new solid waste contract with the city’s current provider, Allied Waste. But it wasn’t an easy decision.

“This isn’t a cut and dried decision,” Mayor Frank Anderson warned the council. There were two sealed bids to consider, but the bids each contained several options.

Allied Waste has a transfer station in Bella Vista. The other bidder was Deffenbaugh Industries.

In the past, Bella Vista businesses have contracted for their own trash service, but the bids covered commercial service as well. There was also a question about who will do the billing. Currently, the city pays the Property Owners Association to include trash billing on the water bill.

Alderman Richard Rooney pointed out most city residents are members of the POA and the billing fees help the association. However, he said, the association may be willing to lower their fees since there’s little cost to them.

The option favored by the council would leave the billing as is.

The final contract will only include commercial collection, if that’s a benefit to businesses, Anderson said, after the meeting. If the city contract raises the cost, the commercial component will be dropped, he said. Negotiations will start right away he said. The contract will begin Jan. 1.

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