The county’s new solid waste transfer station, expected to open in the next few months in the City Industrial Park behind Tenneco Automotive, has contracted someone to haul the trash away, but bids will soon be taken from companies interested in running the operation.

“The solid waste committee has met several times in the last couple or three months to discuss the transfer station operation,” County Mayor Tim Stribling told the county commission Monday night. “We bid the hauling and also the hauling and operation of the transfer station and we did not receive any proposals. I think that was back last August or September. Then I was contacted by a couple of companies that were interested in doing something to that effect. They have presented some proposals and have shown some interest. But I have talked to the auditor and he has said we’ll need to re-bid it even though we bid it the first time and didn’t receive any proposals. Once we advertise and receive bids we’ll have a bid opening in early January. We’ll meet with the Solid Waste Committee and get their recommendation and then bring it back before the commission.”

The county commissioners voted in August 2014 to sign a five-year contract with Smith County to get rid of the household solid waste from the station for $29 a ton when the transfer station is complete.