By Billy Davis

Any discussion about Panola County Solid Waste staying in the commercial garbage business will wait at least until next week, when supervisors meet in Batesville for their Second District meeting.

After voting in December to end the service, some supervisors have said in past weeks that they expect the topic will resurface in response to an outcry from business owners.

At Monday’s First District meeting, supervisors oversaw bid openings for the purchase of commercial containers and a garbage truck, and for remaining business contracts, but did not discuss the issue.

 The bid opening was the logical next step after county government voted to end the commercial service, citing a continuous loss of revenue.

Two companies submitted a bid for the equipment and contracts; a third submitted a bid for services; and a trucking company submitted a bid for two trailers.

Once the bids were opened, supervisors voted unanimously to table a board decision until next week.

“It’s going to come up next week and I think – just looking at the bids – that we’ll be in the commercial garbage business,” Supervisor Kelly Morris said after the meeting.

He made the motion to take the bids under advisement.

Morris had urged the board in December to market the service and seek more customers before they end the service. But the remaining four supervisors, looking at a $4,660 net loss each month, voted to end the service and sell the garbage truck and equipment.

The bids opened Monday were as follows:

•Clean Earth Solutions bid $120,000 for the equipment and contracts.

•Mid-South Waste Disposal bid a total of $166,280 for the containers, truck and two trailers.

The Clarksdale-based company also offered a service bid of $1,148 a month if the county keeps its containers and $1,533 if the company supplies the containers.

Board attorney Bill McKenzie opened a third bid from Allied Waste but did not read it aloud because he said it didn’t include the requested bids.

“It appears to be a bid for future services,” he said.

The bid for the trailers came from Bo Holloway Trucking. The company bid $2,530 for each trailer.

In other board business, supervisors rejected a request to allow a variance for residential garbage service.

Phil Herron, who lives on Crouch Road, made the request in person. Herron said he built a cabin on the property two years ago.

“I got a bill last week that said I owe $30,” he said.

But board president Gary Thompson cited the county’s solid waste ordinance, which requires all residences in the county to use a trash pick-up service.

Panola County Solid Waste charges $11 a month for the residential service.

 “I say we adhere to the county ordinance,” said Supervisor Bubba Waldrup, who made the motion.

Supervisors then voted 5-0 to deny the variance.

After the request was turned down, Herron then asked supervisors to announce, with “the press” present, the grand total of past-due garbage bills in the county.

Supervisors said they did not know the total figure.

The solid waste department “flags” automobile tags for bills that are at least $44 past due.

Past-due customers are also taken to justice court to collect their payments.