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NATCHEZ — Metro Services Group, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month, is still under contract with Adams County to collect trash for at least another 30 days, but that appears not to be happening as it should.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisor Kevin Wilson said he was picking up residents’ garbage piling up curbside on his way to take his own trash to his dumpster.

“I’m sure everyone has gotten the calls about the garbage,” Supervisor Kevin Wilson said. “I’ve gone by and picked up garbage for some people myself. I was headed to my dumpster, so why not? It gets scattered all over the place.”

This is trash that Metro is still under contract to pick up, board attorney Scott Slover said. Per the contract, the company could be penalized for each day garbage is not picked up, but if Metro ends its contract with the county with Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection the company won’t be held responsible for paying those fines, Slover said.

Meanwhile, the supervisors are already preparing for that contract to end by unanimously issuing a Request for Proposals from other companies.

Doug Atkins, the founder of Hometown Waste, came to Tuesday’s meeting to offer his help to the county to prevent any lapse in service.

Atkins said he is a resident of Adams County and had worked in sanitation for 15 years before he started Hometown Waste, which works in two Louisiana parishes, including Concordia Parish through a contract with the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

“I’m here to serve the county no matter what happens. I don’t want you guys to go through any kind of gray area where there is nobody servicing you,” Atkins said. “Until you get your contracts in line and ready to bid, we’re here to help however we can. I do have a big enough team to support the county.”

Wilson thanked the company for agreeing to help out but no formal actions were taken to that effect.

“It has been pretty bad,” Wilson said. “I want to thank everyone who has agreed to help out, Doug Atkins and U.S. Lawns said if they need to pick up bags they could because it’s an off time of year for them. I appreciate those people doing that.”

In the meantime, county officials ask anyone whose trash isn’t picked up on time to call the sanitation department at 601-445-7903.