Will my trash be picked up? Jackson City Council will work on a fix with Richard's, court

Ed Inman
·2 min read
Jackson City Councilman Ashby Foote answers questions from members of the North Ridgewood neighborhood concerning the rise in crime in the area during the North Ridgewood Neighborhood Association town hall meeting at the Agriculture Museum in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, April 22, 2021.
Jackson City Councilman Ashby Foote answers questions from members of the North Ridgewood neighborhood concerning the rise in crime in the area during the North Ridgewood Neighborhood Association town hall meeting at the Agriculture Museum in Jackson, Miss., Thursday, April 22, 2021.

Jackson City Councilmembers met for more than two hours in executive session late Thursday afternoon but took no formal action following receipt of a letter from Richard’s Disposal Inc. stating the firm may cease collection of household garbage effective Saturday if they are not paid for services delivered.

The council and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba have been at odds over an emergency contract awarded to Richard's earlier this year despite the objection of the majority of city council members.

Some councilmembers voted to reject the Richard's contract and the mayor vetoed their no vote on approving the contract, an issue that is on appeal with the state Supreme Court after the circuit court ruled the mayor's veto invalid.

As a result, the council has refused to pay Richard's saying the contract is not legal.

In reaction to Richard's letter on Thursday, Ward 1 Councilman and Council President Ashby Foote said, “We went through a number of options and plans and will work with our attorneys for a settlement.”

Asked if he expected garbage to continue to be collected Monday, Foote said, “I sure hope so.”

He said a final settlement would involve not only the council but also the court system and Richard’s Disposal.

“Hopefully, we can come up with a solution that works for everybody. We are going to work very hard to get this resolved in the next 48 hours,” Foote said.

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, seen heretofore as a strong supporter of the city’s previous contractor, Waste Management, suggested Thursday he now may be more flexible. “I think the City Council as a whole realizes the garbage needs to be picked up,” Stokes said.

Asked if he now cares who picks it up, Stokes said, “Not really, as long as it gets picked up.”In July, Richard’s filed a lawsuit seeking payment for its first two months of work. On Wednesday, Richard’s filed a motion for summary judgment seeking a court to order the city to pay them for services rendered.

Lumumba, who left the closed meeting early, was resolute in his opinion that the firm deserves to be paid.

“Councilmembers who put out their trash expect it to be picked up like the rest of us. They should approve the contract and pay Richards for what they have been doing,” Lumumba said.The mayor said “no one can dispute” that Richard’s has been doing the work, and he praised the firm for doing an “extraordinary job” under difficult circumstances.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Will my garbage be picked up? Jackson City Council will work on fix