Gate City withdraws White Street Landfill bid; public hearing canceled : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

GREENSBORO — Gate City Waste Services informed the city it would like to end contract negations on a White Street Landfill contract, just hours before the city council planned to hold a public hearing on the issue tonight.

The council was informed of the company's decision by email from City Manager Rashad Young at about 2 p.m. Later the city announced the public hearing was canceled.

The company's bid was terminated by letter from D.H. Griffin Sr., one of the Gate City partners.

"As a lifelong resident and businessman in this community I had sincerely hoped to do something positive for the White Street Landfill neighborhoods, and the people of Greensboro. Those actions no longer appear possible," he wrote.

Councilman Robbie Perkins said that he met with Griffin and other Gate City officials Monday night. They sought to work out a compromise, according to Perkins.

"They're doing what good business people try to do. They were trying to win a contract," Perkins said.

But Perkins said any option to use White Street wasn't on the table, although the city could use Griffin's expertise on things such as recycling. Perkins said he spoke with other council members and community leaders Monday night after his discussion with Gate City officials.

Councilwoman Nancy Vaughan said Gate City officials wanted to discuss recycling and waste to energy solutions. But she said that is outside of the scope of the city's current bid round, of which Gate City was the chosen finalist.

Vaughan said the city may have to issue a fourth request for bids — something she said should be handled by the new city council after this fall's elections.

"This really needs to be thought out and deliberative," she said.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com

citywatcher

September 20, 2011 - 2:52 pm EDT

Yahoo! This is your celebration
Yahoo! This is your celebration

Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let's celebrate)

There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times, and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you

Come on now

Celebration
Let's all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration

ustaxpayer

September 20, 2011 - 5:14 pm EDT

This is just half-time...dont chill the mugs in the freezer or pull out the party hats and horns quite yet....

woodman114

September 21, 2011 - 12:42 am EDT

You bought there at DISCOUNT price,you get what you paid for,and other people SOLD at DISCOUNT price !!!!

Panacea

September 20, 2011 - 3:13 pm EDT

This doesn't mean the City won't still try to reopen White Street.

Gate City overplayed its hand. There was no way Vaughn could have been convinced to change her vote after Gate City sued her.

All this means is the City will a) reopen White Street to household trash and run operations itself, b) invite new bids, or c) investigate alternative options.

The City still has the problem of paying waaaayyy too much to ship trash to Montgomery County. That problem didn't go away just because Gate City talked itself out of a deal.

September 20, 2011 - 3:28 pm EDT

Its over! Trudy and Company don't have the votes to make ANYTHING happen at White Street. hehehe

terrier2003

September 20, 2011 - 4:08 pm EDT

careful you don't end up eating those words.

September 20, 2011 - 5:45 pm EDT

Ditto what terrier said. In politics, all things are possible.

Bishop129

September 20, 2011 - 3:34 pm EDT

I agree

September 20, 2011 - 4:09 pm EDT

This may be a battle cry for the proponents of the landfill...time will tell. However, there is still an issue here and it isn't going away any time soon.

If they bring in the option that vaughn could not vote in, everybody in east Greensboro will freak.

SAGG

September 20, 2011 - 4:51 pm EDT

Probably Panacea, but if you really want to pay for taking trash out, then either raise property taxes on the wealthy landowner's homes (now THERE'S a novel idea), or convince rural counties to create landfills so they can make money from urban and surrounding counties who bring their trash over. There's so much woodlands that they can spare some land. All I know that is for now, my side of town's not getting that stupid landfill reopened. It's enough that we have to deal with the stink of the sewage treatment plant just down the street from it. We don't need the landfill reopened, period. Like citywatcher, I'm celebrating! Woo-hoo!

September 20, 2011 - 5:57 pm EDT

Not in this case. This is a case where the city is not getting good value for the money it spends. Throwing more money at it is not the solution. Finding an equally effective solution at a lower cost (ie White Street) IS.

It's unfortunate a large community grew up around that landfill. But that doesn't by itself mean the city should ignore a valuable asset to the detriment of the rest of the city.

What should have happened, is city leadership should have reached out to landfill opponents to work out a compromise of some sort. That didn't happen.

Continued entrenched positions will only inflame the situation and ultimately leave everyone unhappy regardless of the outcome either way.

Tell me, SAGG: what would residents of the eastern side of the city accept in return for the concession of allowing the reopening of White Street to household trash to proceed forward?

tledford

September 20, 2011 - 7:17 pm EDT

"...city leadership..."

That's kind of the problem, isn't it? The fact that there isn't any?

nessroc

September 20, 2011 - 8:25 pm EDT

Money, money, money, it was not just about money it was about race. People always talking about the taxes .We pay taxes to let’s treat everyone the same .why should we pay taxes and smell the hold city garbage hell how would you feel .If the taxes need to go up than let them go up. Put your money where your mouth is.

September 20, 2011 - 10:36 pm EDT

I gave my solution, Panacea. Truth be told, to me, there's absolutely nothing that proponents of the landfill can offer to me to reopen the landfill for house waste. I was delighted when it was closed, and it should stay that way.

record2009

September 20, 2011 - 3:35 pm EDT

Now that Mr. Perkins has injected himself into meetings with Gate City prior to a full discussion by the board and a vote by the board, does that mean he now has a "conflict of interest" in future discussions and contracts for solid waste disposal? It seems that his meeting with Gate City has short-circuited the process of full consideration by the board.

September 20, 2011 - 4:17 pm EDT

If the Mayor himself is not in a conflict of interest by having private meetings with Gate City surely Mr. Perkins is exempt. Politics... I must change my major LOL

September 20, 2011 - 6:13 pm EDT

Perkins jumped the chain of command, unless he did so with the knowledge of Mayor Knight. But politicians often feel they have the authority to do such things, especially when they're trying to ensure the success of a pet project (like this). It's not unusual, though it is of questionable wisdom because of the lingering questions of conflict of interest.

Had Trudy Wade done this, it still might have raised eyebrows, but not conflict of interest (she's a vet).

GreensboroObserver

September 21, 2011 - 9:17 am EDT

Mayor Knight does not get to dictate who can talk to who. Thank Goodness! There is no chain of command. It's not the military. Perkins was trying to find a compromise. What is dishonorable in that? It's something the Mayor should have been trying to achieve all along but he was too head strong to think of a compromise.

rooster8786

September 20, 2011 - 4:00 pm EDT

So Robbie Perkins, as a council member, had a meeting with parties involved in a contract up for consideration, an ongoing lawsuit against 2 of his peers, and the contract was then withdrawn. Oh yeah, a company he owns part of, also does business with the litigant. How the heck is there not a conflict here? His stupidity is beyond compare. Thanks for showing your true self to the voters, you mayor wannabe...

September 20, 2011 - 4:16 pm EDT

He is the savior of East Greensboro and NC A&T. He just guaranteed a vote by every citizen out there opposed to the landfill for the mayoral race. He wasn't going to get the GOP vote, he had to do something huge before the elections.

His war chest is well funded and this will be repeated a lot in his campaigning.

September 20, 2011 - 4:19 pm EDT

Deceny and order gets the victory here terrier.. nothing more.. nothing less. Gate City thought with the info the had to block Vaughn they had to of thought the had enough for a majority vote again??? hmm sounds like unofficial meetings have been happening again

September 20, 2011 - 6:50 pm EDT

terrier: Keep drinking the kool-aid. you & Robbie don't get it that there is a VERY sizeable quiet MAJORITY of citizens who see right thru this ploy of catering to a very minority of the citizenry.

MistyBlue

September 20, 2011 - 4:05 pm EDT

Perkins has accomplished a task that Kee was to timid achieve. It is amazing that Kee could not be the forerunner in handling this matter for his district but I'm sure where there is a will there is a way for him to take some sort of credit. I hope that all those who are paying attention in the 2011 election process are taking note of this.

September 20, 2011 - 4:13 pm EDT

Kee isn't running for mayor and dealing with building contractors. You think this has something to do with DH Griffin and Gate City feeling bad for the city residents? Or do you think there was an assumption deal here for IF Perkins wins the Mayors position?

This is a true victory for Perkins as this will more than likely pull a vote he needs as Bill knight and Tom Phillips will split the GOP vote. This was brilliant strategy. I'm sure DH Griffin will be well compensated down the road by winning contracts with the city.

September 20, 2011 - 4:20 pm EDT

I agree Misty. Duely noted

September 20, 2011 - 4:15 pm EDT

But this should show that the current city council is not equipped to make such a decision fool heartedly.

saving the cityt that much money is fool hearted?

September 20, 2011 - 4:23 pm EDT

Again terrier. you respond with poor research. The original figures estimated Gate City would save the city where competitive with Republic and the landfill would be what it is suppose to be. A last resort and interim place until a new plan can be implemented. Please research Republic unoffical bid before jumping down the citizens of East Greensboro. How often do you visit us again over there??

buzzman

September 20, 2011 - 7:37 pm EDT

Republic's "unofficial bid" could not be considered because it was not in response to the RFP. This ain't rocket science!
Opponents who are patting each other on the back are quite premature.
The fabulous four have put too much time and energy into this to just walk away. It ain't over yet!

The_Weasel

September 20, 2011 - 4:32 pm EDT

-Well I dont care if its Gate City or another option, but spending millions to ship trash all the way the Montgomery County has to stop, one it is a wasteful expenditure of money in general, but its taxpayers money at that when we having to cut back in other areas, two using all that fuel to ship the trash is harmful to the enivorment with the emissions, three, increases demand for fuel, aka cost with the added use as we have a limited supply, four paying other another county to dump trash when we have a good option in our own county that we already paid for.
-I see this a perfect area as the news & record has already pointed out that the area has had a landfill/depot in the area since WWII, there was a private manfuacturing one, which probably caused the contamination in the area, and was a 'white area' before becoming a more of 'black area' in the 70-80s, so I don't see why the racial tension that is being played up. It was there long before its current neighbors moved in.
-I would continue Cone Blvd to the landfill, so that the trucks are not going down White Street, totatlly agree with a new entrance so you don't have dump trucks going by so many homes in the area. The county could also still the transfer station near the airport for the all the dump trucks in the eastern part of the county since the big rigs are more efficient in moving trash to the landfill in the west. Would be less trucks on longer hauls.
-Also how Nancy Vaughan is now allow to vote as her husband is still involved with a competing company, because she could have voted no and started fourth round of bids in which her husband would be involved again. And look now we are probably going have fourth round of bids that is going to be delayed to the next round of elections meaning more money wasted and fuel used. Again the city-county should just run this.

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