Gulfport and Biloxi waste contracts

Two major Gulf Coast cities are heading in different directions when it comes to waste disposal and pickup.
After a special meeting today, Gulfport city leaders are one step closer to finalizing a new contract for trash pickup in the city. Meanwhile, Biloxi officials have sealed the deal in their city.
Gulfport City Council members were talking trash again at Friday’s special meeting. After discussing a number of bids from waste management companies, the city has moved toward a final decision as to which company will take over the waste collection routes throughout the city. Gulfport City Councilmember Myles Sharp said, “Today we have authorized the mayor to enter into final negotiations with the vendor Waste Pro for our solid waste collection in the City of Gulfport.”
Trash was the talk of the town in both Gulfport and Biloxi as both have decided to move forward with a different waste collection contract. Biloxi will go with Team Waste and Gulfport will go with Waste Pro. City of Biloxi Public Affairs Specialist Cecilia Dobbs Watson said, “Residents will have an option to have two trash cans. It will be a two dollar fee to purchase another trash can, but that will help also with going down to once a week.”
City officials tell News 25 only 60 percent of Biloxi residents have been using the twice a week trash pickup, but all residents are paying for it. “So 40 percent of residents are paying for a service that isn’t even being used. So Mayor Gilich feels that this is not a way to run a business. To provide better service to help all residents is the once a week,” said Dobbs Watson.
Gulfport residents will still get twice a week trash pickup. They will also have 95 gallon trash bins and curb side recycling with 18 gallon bins. “Another issue we have been dealing with is what we call rubbish collection which is just the loose waste tree limbs. We will have unlimited collection of that and we have consolidated all that including our recycling with one vendor instead of there being any confusion on who is picking up rubbish and who is picking up solid waste,” said Sharp.