City could toss current garbage plan

The City of Gulf Breeze will re-bid its municipal waste contract in the next few months. Rising landfill, insurance, fuel and labor costs are likely to increase current rates if existing service is maintained. City staff and the Gulf Breeze City Council are weighing their options, and have asked residents to express their desires and concerns on an opinion survey. The surveys need to be returned to City Hall no later than October 15 and can be downloaded from the city webpage www.cityofgulfbreeze.com or can be picked up at City Hall. Frequency of pick-up, availability of curbside recycling, performance of current contractor and rates customers are willing to pay each month are among the topics of the survey.

"Garbage is an expensive and valuable service," Mayor Lane Gilchrist explained at a budget meeting. "We want to hear from our residents what they want and what they are willing to pay. And we need to stop having all these publications thrown into yards and driveways. All they do is go right into the trash can and that costs everyone money. Code does not allow that and it needs to stop."