In its first second meeting of the month Tuesday, the Marion Board of Aldermen began the process of securing a contract for the town’s garbage service.

The board previously approved an emergency contract extension with Waste Management through February 2022 to continue service while the town works through the bidding process.

Mayor Larry Gill said previously the garbage contract is a large expense for the town, costing more than $100,000 per year. In the past, he said, emergency contract extensions had been used instead of bids, but the board wanted to make sure taxpayers were getting the best service and best price possible.

“We’re just trying to clean in up,” he said previously. “We want to make sure we’re bidding it out the right way.”

In Tuesday’s meeting, the board also approved renewal of the Town of Marion’s contract with Lauderdale County to house arrested suspects in the Lauderdale County Jail. Alderwoman Stacy Blalock said the contract is something the board has to renew every year and is the same contract the town has had in the past.

“We do this every year,” she said. “It’s the same thing.”

1st Second Meeting

Tuesday’s meeting was the first time the Marion Board of Aldermen has held a second regularly scheduled meeting of the month. In its Sept. 14 meeting, the board voted to change its regularly scheduled meeting from the second Tuesday of the month to the first Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m.

Gill said the move was to comply with state law, which required the board to meeting during the first week. However, he said changing the meeting time could cause some items on the monthly claims docket to be pushed back a month, interfering with the town’s ability to pay bills in a timely manner.

To make sure the town’s financial obligations were met, the board added a second monthly meeting at 8:15 a.m. on the third Tuesday.