As the Nov. 1 transition of trash and recycling services in Pine Bluff approaches, CARDS Holdings LLC has launched a new landing page designed to provide residents and businesses with essential updates, announcements and tips.
The new website will serve as a central hub for information regarding the upcoming changes, which followed a contentious 5-4 city council vote earlier this month to award the contract to CARDS, ending a 35-year relationship with Waste Management.
Mayor Vivian Flowers cast the tie-breaking vote, defending the decision by stating that a five-month procurement process was undertaken to secure a better contract for the city, and that renewing the old contract would have prevented necessary improvements.
The council meeting that authorized the contract was marked by significant public debate and concerns, particularly regarding the welfare of current Waste Management employees.
Flowers, however, championed the CARDS proposal, highlighting its adherence to city requirements for new containers, modern trucks, daily complaint reports and a 24-hour response window. She also emphasized CARDS’ commitment to establishing a local call center and hauling station, and their willingness to incur fines for service failures.
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Addressing concerns about employment, Flowers confirmed that current Waste Management employees would be given the first opportunity to apply for positions with CARDS. She also clarified that CARDS has no immediate plans for future acquisitions and any potential sale would require the city’s explicit consent.
Beginning Nov. 1, CARDS will be responsible for the collection, transportation and disposal of waste materials from residential, commercial and industrial customers within Pine Bluff.
According to the website, residential billing will continue through Liberty Utilities, maintaining the existing system for residents with water service. New Pine Bluff residents will have trash service initiated when signing up for water service.
New 96-gallon carts will be delivered to residents before Nov. 1, without requiring any action from residents. Waste Management will pick up old carts.
At this time, collection days are anticipated to remain the same. Residents will receive advance notification if any changes are necessary. Standard residential service, including weekly municipal solid waste collection and one bulk and brush collection per week, will cost $19.39. An additional 96-gallon solid waste cart will be $8 per month.
For larger waste volumes, the rate will be $125 per hour for vehicle and crew, plus a disposal fee of $15 per yard.
In the event of a declared disaster, rates will apply, including $175 per hour for roll-off trucks, grapple trucks and rear-load trucks with crews, and a disposal fee of $175 per ton collected.
Residential brush will be collected weekly on the same day as solid waste. However, CARDS is not obligated to collect brush with limbs exceeding four feet in length or four inches in diameter, debris from a commercial tree service, brush not stacked safely at the curb or more than four cubic yards of brush and bulky materials per collection.
Commercial and industrial customers will be billed directly by CARDS.
Upon receiving their first bill, customers will gain access to an online customer portal for convenient account management and payment options.
Small commercial businesses with a single 96-gallon cart and weekly collection will be charged $24.99. Rates for larger commercial entities using front-load containers will vary based on container size and collection frequency.
To ensure high standards of service and minimize disruptions, the contract includes a detailed schedule of liquidated damages for noncompliance. These penalties range from $100 for missed collections over five per day to $5,000 for failing to complete a majority of collections on a given day.
Other penalties include fines for uncorrected missed collections, collection outside permitted hours, failure to clean up spilled waste, unresolved customer complaints, inaccurate reporting and issues with cart delivery or office staffing.
Flowers stressed that these measures are in place to guarantee consistent and quality service for Pine Bluff residents and businesses.
CARDS is actively seeking to fill various positions in Pine Bluff, which, it says, demonstrates its commitment to local employment. Current job openings listed include: Non-CDL driver, lube tech, mechanic, lead mechanic, CDL-B driver, customer service representative and operations supervisor.
To facilitate a smooth transition and address resident questions, CARDS will be hosting town hall meetings on Sept. 22, at the Pine Bluff Convention Center at 5:30 p.m. and on Oct. 27 at Southeast Arkansas College at 5:30 p.m.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to attend these meetings to meet the CARDS team and learn more about their new waste management services.
Additional information can be found on CARDS’ website, https://cardsrecycling.com/service-area/pine-bluff-arkansas/. For customer service inquiries, the CARDS team can be reached by email at municipal@cardsrecycling.com, with a local phone number coming soon.
