In conjunction with Rutherford County Government, The Murfreesboro City Council unanimously approved the selection of Gershman, Brickner and Bratton (GBB) as the strategic plan consultant to develop a 20-year plan for solid waste collection and disposal in Rutherford County.

GBB was selected under a competitive sealed proposal released in March and received May. The City's share of the cost, developed through a Memorandum of Understanding is over $125,000. Other cities in Rutherford County, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville, could share in the cost if they elect to participate in the decision-making phase of the study.

Privately-owned Middle Point Landfill on East Jefferson Pike in Walter Hill, where 19 counties, including Rutherford County have disposed solid waste since 1989, is expected to close in approximately eight to nine years. Middle Point opened in 1987.

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland and Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess organized a planning committee in April 2015 to address plans for disposing solid waste when Middle Point reaches capacity no later than 2025. The committee concluded that a strategic plan guided by a consultant was necessary.