Gwinnett plans solid waste study

Gwinnett County commissioners approved a $131,000 study to redraw the county’s failed solid waste ordinance — a measure that generated a firestorm of protests and a rash of lawsuits last year.

The action follows a series of meetings held by a citizens panel to collect public input and make a proposal that would increase residential collection, encourage recycling and possibly reduce truck traffic in neighborhoods.

The county on Tuesday hired the Seattle-based consulting firm R.W. Beck Inc. to produce a proposal based on public input, state mandates and planned growth. The study is expected to be completed by late August, said Chuck Huckleberry, deputy director of finance for Gwinnett County.

The county is operating under its old ordinance after a 2008 revision was enjoined by Gwinnett Superior Court Judge Michael Clark. That matter has yet to be decided.

Clark ruled the ordinance improperly gave governmental authority to a private agency, Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful Services, which had been named to administer the solid waste program.

He also questioned the bidding process that gave two haulers exclusive rights to service some 180,000 households in unincorporated Gwinnett.

R.W. Beck is expected to make its recommendations based on a set of tasks:

• Review past, current and enjoined ordinances.

• Establish criteria based on counties with comparable populations and demographics.

• Conduct a series of public forums and surveys to gauge community priorities.

Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said the commission has not discussed the issue in detail, but he expects the board to focus on state mandates and the judge’s objections when a new ordinance is crafted.