NATCHEZ —City approved an emergency contract Tuesday with Waste Pro USA to continue garbage collection services while suspending recycling pickup.

The unanimous vote allows the city to enter into the agreement for a minimum of four and a maximum of six months.

In lieu of recycling pickup services, Natchez Mayor Darryl Grennell said residents can bring their recyclables to the Natchez Convention Center.

“What we are suggesting to the residents in the interim during this four (to-six)-month period is to take their recyclables down to the recyclable compactor at the convention center,” Grennell said. “That’s where we’re going to place our recyclables until we can get the RFP and get proposals in to start that process.”

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sarah Smith said Concordia Metal of Natchez would also accept recyclable products.

The deal gives the city time to craft a request for proposals in order to seek potential services from other companies. Though the city intends to have the RFP complete four months into the contract, the extra two months provide a “cushion” for the city, Grennell said.

Residents will maintain a monthly rate of $11.26.

The deal demonstrates a compromise between the city aldermen and Waste Pro, with the city sacrificing recycling services to keep rates from rising.

The contract is necessary due to the city’s decision in August to notify Waste Pro of the intent to terminate the contract between the two parties.

The city had the option to extend the contract for another year, but declined to do so in order to instead seek proposals. That effectively gave the contract a new expiration date of Thursday, Nov. 30.

At the time, the aldermen hoped to work with the county on a joint RFP and potentially hire a third-party consultant to help draft an RFP — neither happened.

As the expiration date approached, the city had neither made headway with an RFP, nor reached any short-term agreement to extend waste collection services past this Thursday.

City attorney Bob Latham said he had attempted to reinstate the one-year extension with Waste Pro, but the company would not agree to that.

Today is the final day of recycling pickup before the current contract expires and the emergency contract goes into effect.