Garbage in the city of Vicksburg will be collected under a new policy developed through negotiations between city officials and Waste Management.

Mayor George Flaggs Jr. introduced the new policy at Monday’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. He said the board will approve an amendment to the garbage collection contract setting the policy at its Friday meeting.

The board in June approved a new garbage collection contract with Waste Management cost more than the previous contract.

“It’s (the policy) better than I thought in the third or fourth week,” Flaggs said, pointing out that the negotiations between the city and Waste Management have two more weeks remaining “to get clarity.” He said the new regulations would be sent to city utilities customers and posted in the media.

“This is extremely important because this is unique, and I didn’t create this,” he said.

According to the new waste collection policy:

• Garbage and trash pickup will be provided twice weekly for residences and small commercial businesses and four times per week for small downtown commercial businesses.

• All trash must be placed inside the approved City of Vicksburg container. Trash in any other container will not be picked up. Residences will receive one green container from the City and may acquire an additional brown container.

Flaggs said the second container will be free, but residents will be charged an extra $15 a month to collect trash from the second can.

•Small commercial businesses and churches not located downtown will receive one green container and may purchase up to three additional brown containers.

• Small commercial businesses downtown can receive up to four red containers.

“The reason for the color-coding is so that Waste Management will know their obligations to pick up those cans that are side by side,” Flaggs said, adding the customers will pay for service involving the extra cans.

• Heavy trash, including large limbs, shrubs and bulky items that cannot fit in containers must be placed at the curb and will be collected weekly.

• Residents must call the action line at 601-636-3411 for special pickups. Construction debris will not be picked up.

• Residents must contact the city Water and Gas Department at 601-636-3414 to report a damaged container and to receive a replacement container.

“All the containers under this administration will be logged in at Water and Gas and they will be delivered by Vicksburg Community Service,” Flaggs said. “We believe that when we adopt this policy we ought to be in good shape and we’re only waiting on the brown cans; there’s no need to put out all the cans until we get all the cans.”

He said once the new cans arrive, the cans will be distributed and the old cans are collected.