The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors met Monday to discuss a proposal submitted by Waste Management to establish a garbage drop-off option on Saturdays.

Recently, the county’s landfill, managed by Waste Management, wrote a proposal to the board that they would allow residents to drop-off garbage on Saturdays, instead of only Monday through Friday, under certain conditions.

The Item previously reported that the board initiated the conversation with the company after recognizing the county’s need for a weekend service.

In the proposal, the company wrote that the county would be responsible for staffing and monitoring the landfill on Saturdays.

“Also, the county would be paying Waste Management $1,500 a week for their services,” Pearl River County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said.

The board discussed the topic further and weighed their options.

District IV Supervisor J. Patrick Lee said there are other options.

“I’m about to solicit another company to see if we can get better rates from another company that supplies the area too,” Lee said.

According to the solid waste disposal agreement made years ago by the board and TransAmerican Waste Central Landfill, the Waste Management disposal site “will be open to accept acceptable waste for disposal Monday through Friday and Saturday at such hours that are posted by TransAmerican.”

“You’ve got to realize that this is a business and if they’ve got no paying customers coming Saturday, I just can’t see them opening,” District I Supervisor Anthony Hales said. “If you want to put a long-term solution to this then you just have to open up negotiation and see if we can work something out.”

The board agreed to seek other local companies but also plans to negotiate the proposal with Waste Management.

In other news, County Engineer Les Dungan gave an update on several county road projects.

The Barth Road Bridge replacement project in Poplarville is nearing completion while the E.T. Poole Road bridge replacement project hasn’t begun. Dungan said they’re still waiting on receiving a proper permit to begin the project.

Currently, the Richardson-Ozona Road realignment project is underway. They plan to install a drainage system to dry the land before construction begins, Dungan said.

Also at the meeting, Art Marr, a representative from BeneCom Technologies, gave a presentation to the board about his company’s information technology services.

“We are privileged to support over 40 county and city administrations in the state,” Marr said. “We want to provide your county with same level of support, while charging significantly less money.”

Pearl River County Information Technology Director Michael Gervais said the company wouldn’t be saving the county money.

“You get to the point where we’ve got the numbers and you’re sending me quotes that are higher than what we’re currently paying… with another company,” Gervais said. “I don’t have a problem to switch to another company if they’re going to give us a better deal.”

The board made no decisions at the meeting concerning Marr’s proposal.

In other business, the board:

­­—Approved travel for the emergency operations director to a certification workshop in South Haven, Miss. on April 13-15.

—Approved travel for the justice court clerk to training in Bay St. Louis, Miss. on May 6-7.

—Approved travel for the veterans service officer to CVSO training in Columbus, Miss. on May 13-15.

—Approved travel for the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department to the advanced vehicle contraband concealment workshop in Biloxi, Miss. on April 7 to 8, instructor development in Sandy Hook, Miss. on April 6-9, ignition interlock nonadjudications training in Biloxi, Miss. for April 22-23, sex offender registry conference in Jackson, Miss. on May 13, cell phone investigation training in Biloxi, Miss. on May 21 and follow the money training in Meridian, Miss. on April 14-16.

—Approved travel for the fire investigator to a spring seminar in Biloxi, Miss. on April 8-10.

The next board meeting will be Wednesday, April 22 at 9 a.m.