FORT SMITH (KFSM) -- The Fort Smith Board of Directors narrowed down the choices for the company that will take the city’s recyclables at a meeting on Tuesday (May 23).
The two companies include MARCK Industries, Inc. and Third Rock Recycling, Inc.
“What the board has allowed us to do is to continue working with those vendors to ask them to sharpen their pencils, to refine their numbers and to have it work out to the benefit of Fort Smith,” city administrator Carl Geffken said.
Geffken said the city wants to enter into a three year contract with whomever they choose. With the numbers they have right now, the city said Third Rock would save the taxpayers more money.
The board still has questions for each company and Geffken said the date that recycling will resume is still up in the air.
“That’s why the information that was on the packet, which was up to date as of Friday afternoon has changed that much given the level of effort that is now being put in to finding a resolution,” Geffken said.
There have been several claims from various Fort Smith residents that what has happened with the city’s recycling is fraud perpetrated on tax payer dollars. Geffken said he would not call it fraud.
“I’d call it an awfully large mistake,” he said. “One that we did not bring to the board of directors or the residents of Fort Smith. This should have been brought to the directors and it’s citizens back in the end of 2014 and then worked on appropriately.”
The public was not allowed to voice their opinion during the meeting, but they did get the chance to talk to the board one on one about their concerns.
The board of directors will discuss which company they would like to work with at the next meeting in June.
Geffken said if they make their decision before that time, they could call a special meeting.