Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
The City of Barnwell has selected a new sanitation service.
On July 15, Barnwell City Council unanimously approved moving forward with a contract with Good Ole Boys Sanitation based in Saluda. Trash and yard debris collection will be $16 under Good Ole Boys compared to the current rate of $18 with S&S Disposal.
However, this will not change the cost to residents. The cost to residents will remain the same as the new provider steps in, as the city must purchase roll out carts and other equiptment.
The city’s five-year contract with S&S Disposal based in Ehrhardt began on September 1, 2019, and expires on September 1, 2024, prompting the council to request bids in June.
The council received three bids in total; that of their former provider S&S Disposal, a bid from Capital Waste Services, and a bid from Good Ole Boys Sanitation.
S&S Disposal had the lowest bid for rates in the first year at $15.90 for both cart ($13.95) and yard debris pick up ($1.95). However, S&S Disposal was found to not be the cheapest option over the four-year term as the contract required the city to pay a four percent increase each year.
Good Ole Boys Sanitation proposed a $16 rate for trash ($14.50) and yard debris pick up ($1.50) with no increase during a four-year contract term, and Capital Waste Services would cost $18.47 for cart and yard debris pick up.
City Administrator Lynn McEwen presented the council with a breakdown of the cost between S&S Disposal and Good Ole Boys Sanitation.
In the first year with S&S Disposal, the city would be paying $32,595 per month and $391,140 per year.
In the second year, the total cost increases to $33,907 per month totaling $406,785.60 for the year. The total cost for the third year of the contract would be $423,159.36, and the fourth year would be $440,044.80.
The total cost for the life of the contract would be $1,661,129.76.
With Good Ole Boys Sanitation, the city would be paying $32,800 per month and $393,600 per year for the entire life of the contract, totaling $1,574,400 for the four-year term.
The difference between the total cost of the four-year contracts would be $86,729.76, with S&S Disposal resulting in a higher total due to the annual four percent cost increase.
“Between the two, there was a dime difference when you look at the overall price,” said Mayor Ron Still in reference to S&S Disposals rate of $15.90, and Good Ole Boys rate of $16. “But then when you go through and calculate everything over a four-year period, Good Ol’ Boys didn’t have any increase.”
Initial concerns of city administration and personnel included damage to the roll out carts.
According to Phillip Stanley, the city’s director of public works, the city was purchasing between 50 to 70 roll out carts per year as replacements for damaged carts prior to contracting with S&S Disposal.
While with S&S Disposal, Stanley found the city was purchasing between 250 and 500 carts per year “due to damage that is being done to the carts by S&S,” he wrote.
In the last several years, the cost of roll out carts has increased from roughly $60 per cart to $80.
According to Stanley, the city was spending roughly $3,000 to $5,000 per year prior to S&S Disposal being awarded the contract in 2019. In the past two years with S&S services, Stanley found the city to have spent nearly $42,000 in replacements leading him to suggest future providers be liable for damage done to carts.
Councilmember Ricky Dixon expressed concerns about the distance from the City of Barnwell to Good Ole Boys homebase in Saluda. According to Mayor Ron Still, Good Ole Boys has equipment staged in Williston near the Barnwell/Aiken County line.
