RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Earlier this month, the Rutherford County government entered into a five-year contract with Waste Management Inc. of Tennessee (WM) to load, transport, and dispose of solid waste from the future transfer station currently under construction. Although County Mayor Joe Carr may have signed the contract with good intentions, it appears that his signature may be in direct violation of established procedures... That was Commissioner Craig Harris.

During the August 15th County Commission meeting, Commissioner Harris highlighted the issue… Evidently, the contract should have involved the Public Works Committee. Harris further pointed out that the Mayor overlooked several critical steps before signing the contract...

In a previous news release, Mayor Carr stated, “Signing this contract is a part of making sure the fastest growing county in Tennessee is on its way to becoming solid waste independent.” 

Public Works & Planning Committee Chairman Anthony Johnson also addressed the commissioners... County Attorney Nick Christiansen then provided legal guidance on the matter...

Meanwhile, Commissioner Mike Kusch raised concerns about the potential fallout from asking for a re-bid. He questioned whether rejecting the Waste Management contract was in the county’s best interest, warning of a possible lawsuit or the risk of securing a much higher-priced contract...

Commissioner Robert Peay argued that failing to re-bid the project would be unlawful... Peay and other commissioners saw the contract for the first time just before the commission meeting. Upon review, they discovered several details within the contract…

Commissioner Romel McMurry also expressed his views during the recent County Commission meeting...

The commission later entered an executive session, after which Commissioner Jeff Phillips said... Following the executive session, Commissioner Hope Oliver shared her perspective on the matter, echoing what several other commissioners suggested...

Re-Bid Process: In the best interest of the county, the Purchasing Committee decided to issue a new Request for Proposals (RFP). This decision effectively rejects the current contract with Waste Management, and all interested parties will need to submit new bids for their services.

Once proposals are submitted and thoroughly reviewed, the appropriate committee will select a company to contract for garbage transportation and disposal services. The waste will be collected from the future transfer station and then transported to the company’s designated disposal site. The proper committees will oversee the bidding process, and the County Commission will vote on the selected company before a new contract is signed.