Oxford residents to be served by new garbage disposal company

Jun 12, 2023

OXFORD — Arrow Disposal Service, Inc. will begin residential pickup of garbage beginning Monday, Oct. 2.

The move to the Abbeville-based company comes after the City of Oxford had asked for bids on its residential solid waste collection and disposal contract.

Arrow currently services Calhoun County, Pell City, Hokes Bluff and Ohatchee from an Anniston office. Calhoun County has been using the company since July 1, 2021.

The new Oxford contract was approved by the City Council during Tuesday’s regular meeting and maintains free garbage pickup for city residences.

Republic Services currently holds the contract for those services priced at $10.49 per month per residence for 8,004 residences.

The new bid was based on 8,167 residences and Arrow was the lowest at $12.95 per month per residence. Republic’s bid was second highest at $16.05 per month per residence and the highest bid was from Advanced Disposal Services at $22.96 per month per residence.

Arrow officials announced Scott John, an Oxford High School graduate, is serving as the area manager and would oversee the Oxford operations.

John said plans are to distribute the new receptacles to residents a few weeks prior to the official start date. The company will work with the city’s marketing and public information office to familiarize citizens with the look of the new trucks and receptacles as well as to provide information on the transition.

John said Arrow contracts with “a large company that specializes in delivering [receptacles].”

“We’ll give them a list and maps and they will have stickers that will go on them when delivered showing what the service day will be,” John said.

He said the biggest problem with starting new services is people getting their new receptacles a few weeks before service starts and beginning to use them before that service begins.

“Republic won’t empty our cans and we won’t empty theirs,” Scott said.

There was no information known concerning when Republic would retrieve their receptacles.

Council also approved an engineering services agreement with CDG, Inc. to develop a project design of resurfacing and drainage improvements along Bynum Cutoff Road.

The agreement is the next step of a process begun last year when the city was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration for infrastructure upgrades.

Bynum Cutoff Road is heavily used by industries including Kronospan and Bridgewater as well as the Anniston Army Depot.

In awarding the grant, the EDA stated the infrastructure improvement is anticipated to generate $10 million in private investment.

The city agreed to a $500,000 match when the grant was originally awarded. The cost of the engineering services agreement approved Tuesday is $379,585.

The council also approved a letter of agreement which will permit Chocolocco Park to host the 2024 ASUN Conference Softball Championship.

Competition is scheduled for May 8-11, 2024 and the agreement also reveals plans for live streaming of the competition as it requires “a location dedicated for the production and broadcast of ESPN+ streaming.”

Staff Writer Brian Graves: 256-236-1551.