Commissioners Fight Illegal Dumping; Price Increases
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – The Houston County Commissioners Court met Tuesday, Dec. 12 to hear from the new trash disposal company in the county and about thousands of tires which need to be properly disposed of or recycled.
The court first dealt with the issue of closing and “disowning” County Road 2275, due to the fact that both sides of the road are now owned by the same property owner. The owner now holds about 6,000 acres in the area and requested the closure of the road to make their property contiguous. The commissioners approved to close the roadway and take it off the list of county-maintained roads.
Delman Orme told the commissioners about 18,000 tires accumulated in the county and the problems all counties are having with the illegal dumping of old tires. The Messenger recently reported the City of Crockett was offering $500 for information regarding those responsible for dumping tires near MLK Blvd. Orme reported this particular resident has a license to transport and recycle the old tires, but has not yet received permission to dispose of them. The equipment to shred the tires runs in the many thousands of dollars and Orme assured the court the county is working with the resident to make sure the tires do not become a problem, with fire being one of the biggest concerns.
Representatives from Live Oak, the new owners of Piney Woods Sanitation came to introduce themselves officially to the commissioners. They said the company counts on experienced employees who know the garbage business. Live Oak acknowledged the merger with Piney Woods had not been without some hiccups, telling the court they have received hundreds of calls which overwhelmed their systems, but are getting things better organized now and asking customers to, “bear with them,” while they get the two companies completely integrated.
The company told commissioners they did not increase rates earlier in the year due to an oversight, but that prices across the board have increased and there would be a 5% increase as of Nov. 1 of the current year. They assured commissioners Houston County still pays about half of what customers in other counties pay, saying with inflation at 9%, a 5% increase is warranted.
Commissioners Gene Stokes was first to respond, telling them Piney Woods has been the choice of the county for many years, but the commissioners must look out for the citizens of Houston County and warned them against constant price increases. The company officials agreed and guaranteed there would be no additional price increases, at least until March 2025. They said in a world of big companies who don’t seem to care anymore, they were glad to be serving the people in this county.
They also advised customers with trash pickup on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, the service will run the following day.
The court also officially decommissioned the old jail located at 112 East Houston Ave. in Crockett. This was a necessary bureaucratic move – the jail was last occupied in 2010.
There was some disagreement about how to use some of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds available to the county, with a proposal to use them on roads and bridges. Commissioner Lovell pointed out some of this money comes from other grants they have been able to secure. Houston County Sheriff Randy Hargrove told the court his department is still in need of radios and signal repeaters for his deputies. County Auditor Melissa Jeter promised to return with a proposal on how the remaining funds could be best allocated for the commissioners to consider.
In other business, the court approved Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) funds to be used for the following upcoming events in the county:
- Colin Raye Concert, Jan. 27 at the Crockett Civic Center
- Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats Concert, Feb. 2 at the Crockett Civic Center
- Latexo Athletic Booster Club for the Latexo Christmas Basketball Tournament Dec. 28-30 at the Latexo ISD Gymnasium
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
