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Former GDS employee tells county how to save money on solid waste'Hundreds of thousands' of dollars to be saved, Thornton saysBy Lisa Majors-DuffCounty commissioners are hoping a former employee of their garbage hauler can help them negotiate a better solid waste contract in coming years.John Thornton, a former manager with GDS Inc., the county's solid waste hauler, now works for the Fletcher Group, an engineering firm hired by the county to assist with post-closure activities at the Dillsboro landfill. In his new position, Thornton said he has the specialized knowledge needed to work out future solid waste arrangements more in Jackson County's favor. In addition to finding areas to renegotiate the county's contract with GDS, Thornton proposed to examine the county's contracts with Macon County for solid waste disposal, its contract with Webster Enterprises for recycling and all facets of its staffed recycling center operations. "I have first-hand experience with Jackson County's operations," said Thornton, one of several key GDS officials involved in writing the original contract. "I feel qualified to do the job." The cost for his services are projected to be about $17,000. But, Thornton said, "I see hundreds of thousands of dollars savings for the county." Commission Chairman Jay Denton said a feeling on his part of "being on the short end of the stick" with regard to current solid waste contracts led him to seek Thornton's help. He placed no blame for the current situation, but did say the previous board of county commissioners faced few choices when they entered into these contracts. "Let's prepare for the contract renewals now," Denton said. "Let's not go with the first dog and pony show that comes to town." As one example of possible savings, Denton pointed out that just two fewer days of operation at the county's seven SRCs would bring $200,000 back into the solid waste budget, which currently costs taxpayers some $2.3 million. |
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