County will negotiate with new garbage firm

After Sept. 30, the company that picks up your garbage may not be Reliable.

Reliable Sanitation's bid to extend the contract they've had for 10 years was undercut by Choice Environmental.

Reliable and Choice were among four firms to bid on a contract to pick up garbage across the county. Choice was recommended by five staff members, 422 to 417. Advanced Disposal of Orlando was a distant third with 295, and Waste Pro of Fort Myers was fourth with 286 points.

Commissioners were angry: Guy Maxcy felt like he "was being put in a box," by the staff recommendation; Jeff Carlson felt like the scoring process was set up to back commissioners into a corner.

Reliable's bid was only 95 cents per month more expensive than Choice, so Maxcy felt Highlands citizens would prefer Reliable, which he said has an excellent reputation among its customers.

Carlson voted against the 4-1 motion to negotiate with Choice. "If I have to make a motion or vote on a motion, it would be to throw the whole thing out and start over."

After a 100-minute discussion, the commissioners agreed they wouldn't divide the county into two zones, because the bids were cheaper if one company handled both zones.

The two companies sparred briefly when Terry Collier of Reliable protested that Choice - a million dollar company - was graded higher for financial security than Reliable, which has billions in revenues. Choice also has been in business for three years, whereas Reliable has been a company for 30 years.

"We're not a cut-rate company," Choice Regional Manager Jim Sage responded. Choice is a Florida company, he said, whereas Reliable is actually headquartered in Phoenix.

The discussion ended on a second controversy when Carlson said he didn't want Solid Waste Director Ken Wheeler included in the negotiating committee.

Why, Maxcy asked?

"Because I don't have confidence in Mr. Wheeler," Carlson replied.

At the end of the meeting, when Maxcy said he was disturbed by such a remark in a public meeting, Carlson replied that if Maxcy didn't want to hear the answer, he shouldn't have asked the question.