VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Police Jury fielded questions Thursday from representatives of four waste management companies vying for the parish’s garbage contract.

The contract with current trash-hauler WastePro will expire at the end of this year.

The new waste management company will begin its route for 4,326 stops in Concordia Parish as early as Jan. 1.

Jury President Jimmy Wilkinson said he hopes to include two new services in the upcoming contract.

The first is a notification system wherein drivers will leave a door hanger at residences where they could not pick up an item, explaining why the discarded object could not be taken.

From time to time, Wilkinson said, residents will try to dispose of old refrigerators or freezers, which often contain chemical refrigerants, which cannot be disposed of in landfills.

Residents also try to dispose of stumps or tree trunks through daily trash pick-ups, which routinely exceed the weight limit of 45 pounds.

These notices, Wilkinson said, are a simple way of notifying residents of the problems.

Wilkinson said he hopes to also secure a bulky waste pickup option. Bulky waste in solid waste such as furniture, tree limbs or trunks, loose brush and other items that exceed residential trash waste limits.

Bulky waste pickup is not currently available in the parish, Wilkinson said.

Ward 3-B Juror Whest Shirley said the meeting was to allow company representatives to ask any questions they may have of the jury.

The police jury will hold a special public meeting at 4 p.m. Nov. 7 to read the proposals into public record. Jury Secretary Treasurer Sandi T. Burley said the jurors do not have to decide which company wins the contract then, but the proposals must be made public then.

The four companies attending Thursday’s meeting came from as far away as Jackson and New Orleans.

Pelican Waste representative Tommy Thibodeaux asked if bulky waste pickup would be scheduled or performed on an as-needed basis.

Burley said since the parish does not currently offer the service, the board will make a decision on how to schedule bulky waste pickup after offers are made.

Other companies in attendance included WastePro, Metro Service Group and Waste Management.

The companies will offer business proposals for a five-year contract with the option to renew after two years.

The contract stipulates that waste collection may not start before 6 a.m. or continue after 8 p.m.

Members Carey Cook, Shirley, Adam Probst and Wilkinson attended Thursday’s meeting.