Friday, December 30, 2011 - County Saves $1 Million, Creates Trucking Jobs At Landfill

The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners recently entered into a contract with a local engineering firm to provide fill material at the County landfill, putting 30 dump truck drivers to work, while saving more than $1 million.

County Commissioners approved a contract with Underwater Engineering Services of Fort Pierce to provide between 120,000 – 270,000 cubic yards of fill materials at the landfill at a cost of $1 per cubic yard. The lowest recent bid for the same materials was $5.90 per cubic yard. Due to the significant savings to the County, the Board approved a bid waiver for the fill materials and entered into a contract with Underwater Engineering Services at the Commissioners’ Dec. 20 regular meeting.

St. Lucie County Solid Waste Director Ron Roberts said the contract was executed on the same day it was approved by the Board of County Commissioners, so that the 30 dump truck drivers and one ticket taker could begin work immediately in order for them to earn their first paycheck before Christmas.

“For many of these drivers it was the first time that they’ve had steady work in months,” added Roberts.