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NATCHEZ — The Adams County Board of Supervisors is expected to make its next move on Monday toward terminating its garbage collection contract with United Infrastructure Services of Louisiana LLC.

The county served the company with a notice of termination in March through the Mississippi Secretary of State and the Mississippi Attorney General.

United Infrastructure had until April 14 to respond to the notice, but did not, said Kevin Wilson, president of the Board of Supervisors.

Wilson expects the county to begin advertising a request for proposals from other garbage collection companies soon. He also said at least two companies have been contacted for prices should the county need garbage collection services.

“We may need to contract with someone temporarily if they (United Infrastructure) just stop collecting garbage in the county,” Wilson said.

Supervisors voted 2 to 1 on March 4 to notify the company of the termination of the contract. District 5 Supervisor Warren Gaines cast the only nay vote. District 3 Supervisor Angela Hutchins and District 4 Supervisor Ricky Gray were out of town and not at the meeting on that day.

The vote arose after supervisors discovered that United Infrastructure Services was operating in the county without proper insurance.

However, Wilson, who represents District 2 in Adams County, and District 1 Supervisor Wes Middleton have been unhappy with United Infrastructure since that company was issued the county contract on March 6, 2023.

Since that contract was issued, supervisors have received numerous complaints from constituents regarding poor service from United Infrastructure, including routinely missed pickup days, strewn trash on county roads due to the company’s improper use of equipment to collect garbage from residents and vehicles, and the release of toxic leachate from improperly managed garbage.

The previous slate of supervisors contracted with Metro Services in 2018 and left Waste Pro after Metro Services offered the county a significantly reduced rate for garbage collection.

However, in October 2022, Metro Services filed for bankruptcy protection and, despite having a contract with Adams County, stopped collecting the garbage of Adams County residents during the Christmas holiday that year.

The bankruptcy court allowed the owners of Metro Services to form a new company, United Infrastructure Services of Louisiana.

When Supervisors in early 2023 advertised for bids for a new garbage collector, United Infrastructure placed a bid, but at a significantly increased rate, one that would ultimately cost the county and Adams County residents more than $900,000 more for garbage collection.

Wilson and Middleton balked, saying the county could not afford the increased rate, nor could county residents, and that supervisors should consider switching to once-a-week garbage collection.

Gray and Hutchins said they would not support once-a-week collection, and on March 6, 2023, supervisors voted 3 to 2 to award the contract to United Infrastructure Services of Louisiana.