When Advanced Disposal opted not to renew its contract for garbage collection services for Selma, city leaders were put in a stinky situation.

But with proposals in hand from two companies, the city is closer to finding an answer.

According to Selma Mayor George Evans, Advanced Disposal and Sea Coast Disposal have submitted plans to the city that if approved by the Selma City Council would go into effect Feb. 1, 2016.

The city sent out requests for proposals (RFPs) to nine different companies on Aug. 28, and only two of them, Advanced Disposal and Sea Coast Disposal, responded with bids.

The RFPs were for two types of service. The first option was subscription-based, which is much like the service Advanced Disposal currently offers the city. The other option was to have the company collect the garbage and bill the city for its services.

Sea Coast submitted proposals for both options.

“Sea Cost’s proposal is based on two things,” Evans said Tuesday night during the Selma City Council meeting. “They will collect the money and pick up garbage, or they’ll also allow us to collect the money and them pick up the garbage.”

Evans said Sea Coast would charge $19 for collecting garbage and billing the city, while they would charge $20 for collecting the garbage and collecting fees.

Garbage currently costs $15 per month, which would mean an increase of $4 to $5 if the city chooses Sea Coast to take over garbage collection.

Advanced Disposal only submitted a proposal for collecting garbage and billing the city, which would require the city to collect fees from customers.

“Advanced Disposal does not want any obligation to go out and be billed. In other words, they don’t want to do like they’re doing now, that is [customers] to pay the company,” Evans said. “All they are bidding on with this proposal is the city would in fact pay them and we would be responsible for collecting the fees.”

Evans said Advanced Disposal’s monthly fee would drop to $14 per month, which is a $1 decrease for customers.

Evans said the idea of the city having to collect money for customers is a nightmare.

“Naturally, from my perspective Mr. Chairman and council members, I personally know what a nightmare it is collecting money,” Evans said. “I favor the $20 basically, and let [Sea Coast] do it all instead of us trying to set up shop and do it.”

Advanced Disposal’s reason for not renewing its current service with the city is because the company is losing money due to customers not paying bills.

“Unfortunately, we incur significant expenses with our trucks, our fuel, our employees and the carts themselves to provide solid waste services, and we need to be paid for it,” said Mary O’Brien, chief marketing officer for Advanced Disposal, in a previous Times-Journal article.

“Unfortunately, there was a high number of residents in Selma that have chosen not to pay us for this service, and we can’t continue operating under those scenarios.”

According to Selma City Council President Corey Bowie, around half of the 6,000 Advanced Disposal customers in Selma are not paying their bill.

With Advanced Disposal’s contract set to expire Jan. 31, 2016, Evans said he hopes to have a decision from the council in November.

“We do have until the last of January before this takes place, but I was thinking that by Nov. 1 we need as a council to decide which company we’re going to go with … so this company, whoever it might be, will have time to get everything in place for the Feb. 1 date,” Evans said.

While the council did not vote on a proposal Tuesday, Bowie suggested having a work session with council members and representatives from Sea Coast and Advanced Disposal to discuss the proposals.