Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Lealman garbage contract awarded

Service to some eastern neighborhoods will begin in January after a five-year-effort.

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published April 23, 2006

If it works, the idea could spread to other areas of unincorporated Pinellas.

"This is sort of a major accomplishment in our approach to try and provide solid waste disposal in the Lealman area," Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt told county commissioners Tuesday before they unanimously awarded the garbage contract to County Recycling on Haines Road.

Ray Neri, head of the Lealman Community Association and a member of the Lealman redevelopment team that spearheaded the idea, was unable to attend the meeting because of illness in his family.

"I feel like the guy who's had a pregnant wife for three years, has gone through all the Lamaze classes and at the last minute couldn't make it to the birthing room," Neri said later. "But the baby, the delivery was beautiful."

Neri added, "I'm very pleased that a business that exists in Lealman got it. Not that the other guys weren't good, but it just seems right."

The vote was a victory for Lealman activists who, five years ago, began working toward a unified garbage service for the area.

The problems they saw included residents who did not have service and allowed trash to build up. Those who had service had high bills that kept escalating and varied from person to person, even those with the same carrier.

Also, because there was no set day for pickup, garbage cans could be seen on the streets day in and day out as various carriers traveled through the area.

Neri and others first tried to negotiate with carriers, hoping they could get an areawide contract with set rates that would be lower than individuals were being charged. But the carriers refused to negotiate or made offers that were unrealistic, Neri said.

So the activists approached the county. Three years ago, commissioners voted to help Lealman get its service. As required by law, the commission gave the collectors who had routes in the area three years' notice of the impending change.

That time will be up in December, allowing the new, unified service to begin.

This year, the county asked for bids. County Recycling was the low bidder.

The charge will be about $14 per month, including a county administrative charge.

That's about 40 to 50 percent lower than the $28 to $35 monthly charge many residents are now paying. Regular garbage will be picked up twice a week and large items once a week.

"I think this will make a big difference to the Lealman area," said Warren Smith, director of Pinellas County utilities.

Residential property owners will be billed once a year on their property taxes. It's not a tax, Smith said, it's a service fee.

Property owners can pay the amount in one payment with their taxes, or can break it into quarterly payments by making an arrangement with the county.

[Last modified April 23, 2006, 11:14:23]