Clarke County Garbage Service Switches to Waste Management in November; New Carts Arriving

GROVE HILL, Ala. — Rural Clarke County residents will switch to a new garbage hauler in November, and the new Clarke County garbage service provider says new carts are already arriving at homes. A Waste Management representative told the Clarke County Commission on Tuesday that the company is on track to begin collections next month.

Until then, customers should keep using their current Republic carts, the company said.

What customers need to know

Shea Magee, speaking for Waste Management, told commissioners that new carts are being delivered now. Each cart carries informational stickers explaining how to place and handle it for pickup.

Magee said teams are building collection routes, with pickups scheduled four days a week.

• Who it serves: Rural, unincorporated Clarke County residents
• When it starts: November
• Collection days: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
• New carts: Being delivered now, with instruction stickers attached
• Until November: Keep using your current Republic cart
• Help line: (866) 604-5062

The specific collection day for each household will depend on the routes Waste Management is finalizing. Residents with questions about their pickup day, cart delivery or service can call the company’s Clarke County help line.

Cities have their own service

The new contract covers rural county residents only. Grove Hill, Jackson and Thomasville each have separate garbage collection services, so residents inside those city limits are not affected by the change.

‘We ask the public to be patient’

Commission Chairman Jackie Ray Rush cautioned that the changeover may not be seamless at first.

“There will be some hiccups and we ask the public to be patient,” Rush said.

Switching haulers involves delivering a new cart to every customer, setting new routes and moving accounts from one company to another, and missed pickups or confusion over collection days are common in the first weeks of any transition. Residents who have two carts at the curb during the switch should follow the instructions on the new cart’s sticker and keep using the Republic cart until Waste Management service begins.

Commissioners thank Isaias responders

Commissioners and others at the meeting also praised the people who worked through Hurricane Isaias, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, county road workers and residents who pitched in.

Sheriff DeWayne Smith said his deputies brought their own chainsaws to help clear fallen trees from county roads.

Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on the night of Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane and brought down trees and power lines across a wide area of southwest Alabama as it moved inland.

Warning about 911 misuse

County Emergency Management Director Roy Waite told commissioners he saw misuse of the 911 system during the storm unlike anything he had experienced before.

“One person called repeatedly that their power was out, demanding that we report it,” Waite said.

Waite said the caller was told that if the calls continued, the person would be reported to the district attorney for 911 abuse.

Emergency officials across the region routinely remind residents that 911 lines are for emergencies that threaten life or property. During a storm, when call volumes surge, non-emergency calls can tie up dispatchers handling medical calls, fires and people trapped by fallen trees. Power outages should be reported directly to the electric utility that serves the home, using the outage number or app provided by that utility.

Culvert bid, hires and new patrol vehicles

In other business, the commission:

• Opened a single bid for culvert pipe from J&G Culverts. The bid was $1.71 per pound for round aluminum pipe picked up at the yard ($1.85 delivered) and $2 per pound for arched pipe at the yard ($2.04 delivered). The county has been buying culverts through the Association of County Commissions of Alabama’s approved price list, and County Engineer Lance Jordan will compare the bid with those prices.
• Approved the hiring of Jeffery Gates, an operator II with the road and bridge department, and Ja’Kiya Allen, a transport officer with the sheriff’s office, after both completed their probationary periods.
• Approved the purchase of two 2027 Chevrolet Tahoes for the sheriff’s office, one for $56,269.14 and one for $56,585.97.

Why culverts matter after a storm

Culverts are the pipes that carry water under roads and driveways, and they are a constant need for a rural county road department. When culverts clog or fail, water can wash over or undercut a road, especially during heavy rain. Comparing a local bid with the statewide price list is one way the county checks that it is getting the best price on a material it buys regularly.

The Association of County Commissions of Alabama is the statewide organization that represents Alabama’s 67 county governments and offers services to its member counties, including purchasing programs.

About Clarke County

Clarke County, with its county seat in Grove Hill, is a largely rural county in southwest Alabama. Its incorporated communities include Grove Hill, Jackson and Thomasville, which run their own garbage collection, leaving the county contract to serve the households spread across the unincorporated areas.

The Clarke County Commission meets in Grove Hill. Residents with questions about the new garbage contract can contact the commission office or call Waste Management’s help line at (866) 604-5062.