Magro Dunbar of CSRA Waste empties a load of garbage into a truck. The Augusta Commission failed to award a new service contract to extend trash pickup to southern and western parts of the city at a meeting Tuesday. JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

At their meeting, commissioners were divided on how to proceed with a trash service contract: Half said they needed answers to questions such as how to bill customers and where to find start-up money to get new service off the ground. The other half said that the issue had been postponed too long and that financing should be worked out later.

Although both sides agreed the community clearly supports city-managed trash collection, deadlocked votes ended up deferring the issue for the second consecutive meeting. Commissioners are expected to revisit the issue in two weeks.

Currently, trash service is billed as part of property taxes in the urban district - the former city - which is collected at the end of the year.

But implementing extended service this year would cost the county an estimated $1.5 million, said Public Works Director Teresa Smith. Paying that bill without any initial collections will require some other source of funding, such as pulling from a city contingency account or billing customers monthly as a part of their utility bills.

``The need is there, but we need to have a definite plan,'' said Commissioner Steve Shepard. ``We need to have a cash flow set up ... Until we have a total funding package for this, we need to table it.''

Commissioners have spent several months considering a proposed solid waste contract that would extend service to about 23,000 new customers in the southern and western parts of the city and change haulers for about 16,000 existing customers in the city's urban section. One company - CSRA Waste - has been identified as the low bidder in about 70 percent of the contracts.

But three motions concerning the contract failed Tuesday. The only motion to get the necessary six votes were six ``nos'' on a motion to postpone garbage discussions to another meeting.

The decision-making process was brought to a standstill after two other votes were taken - one on a motion to award a solid-waste disposal contract and the other to approve the bid but hold off on approving a final contract. Both failed to gain the minimum six votes needed to pass or fail a motion.

``People ... would think this is the first time we've discussed waste disposal. We've been talking about this for two to three months, though,'' Commissioner Lee Beard said. ``We've promised these people we're going to do this.''

Commissioners who were in favor of moving forward with awarding the contracts were Mr. Beard, Marion Williams, Andy Cheek and Richard Colclough. Those in favor of postponing the discussions were Mr. Shepard, Bill Kuhlke and Willie Mays. Commissioners Jerry Brigham and Henry Brigham voted to move forward with the awarding the bids, but on different motions, resulting in deadlock. Ulmer Bridges was absent Tuesday.

Mayor Bob Young voted against the final motion to award the contract after commissioners were tied 4-4, making the vote 5-4 against. The motion still failed because it lacked the required six-vote majority.

Pickup costs

Residents are served by different contractors and pay different fees depending on where they live:

Existing service provides:

Twice-weekly pickup

Leaves and limbs

Lowest cost: $11.15/month

Highest cost: $14.15/month

Proposed service would offer:

Twice-weekly pickup

Leaves and limbs

Bulky waste

Recycling

Lowest cost: $14.50/month

Highest cost: $17.13/month

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.