THAT APPEARS FROM FAR OVER. 16 WAPT'S GRACYN GORDON JOINS US LIVE NOW FROM CITY HALL. THEY TALKED ABOUT HOW LONG OF A PROCESS IT HAS BEEN TO GET PAID FOR THEIR SIX MONTHS OF WORK. AND THE NEED FOR THE THREAT OF NO LONGER WORKING TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE. BUT THINGS ARE NOT COMPLETELY SETTLED YET. THE NEW ORLEANS' BASED COMPANY AGREED TO CONTINUE PICKING UP TRASH AFTER THE CITY AGREED TO PAY RICHARDS DISPOSAL 4- POINT-8 MILLION DOLLARS FOR COLLECTING GARBAGE IN THE CITY SINCE APRIL. <CHEERING> <JOHN WALKER: "WE'RE GLAD THAT WE GOT THIS TEMPORARY SETTLEMENT, BUT IT'S NOT OVER WITH, AND PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT. THIS IS JUST A LULL IN THE STORM."> BUT NOT ALL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ON BOARD WITH PAYING RICHARD'S DISPOSAL. <KENNETH STOKES: "I'M NOT PAYING FOUR MILLION DOLLARS TO NOBODY. I'M NOT GONNA DO IT."> THE SETTLEMENT WAS AGREED TO FRIDAY. <KENNETH STOKES: "WHAT SETTLEMENT?"> BUT IT IS UNCLEAR HOW EXACTLY THE DECISION WAS MADE. <KENNETH STOKES: "THERE WAS NEVER A VOTE TAKEN FOR A SETTLEMENT."> RIGHT NOW THE COMPANY IS FOCUSING ON DOING THE WORK THEY'VE DONE FOR HALF A YEAR IN THE CAPITAL CITY. <ALVIN RICHARD: "WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE EMERGENCY CONTRACT. AND MOVE FORWARD AND SEE IF WE CAN DO BETTER WITH THE NEXT CONTRACT."> ATTEMPTING TO PUSH PAST THE CURRENT TENSIONS ON THE CONTRACT... EVEN WITH FRUSTRATING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR RICHARD'S. <JOHN WALKER: "EVERYTHING THAT HAS GONE ON SINCE JANUARY 18TH OF THIS YEAR SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE ON. BECAUSE ON JANUARY 18TH, RICHARD'S DISPOSAL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE SIX-YEAR CONTRACT. DONE DEAL. OVER AND DONE WITH, BECAUSE IT HAD THE BEST PROPOSAL."> EMPLOYEES AT TODAY'S MEDIA BRIEFING HELD UP SIGNS SAYING "I AM JACKSON" IN SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY. THEY ALSO HELD A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE EMPLOYEE INJURED IN A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING. DESPITE EVERYTHING... THERE IS STILL NO APPROVED CONTRACT BETWEEN RICHARDS DISPOSAL AND THE CITY OF JACKSON. ALL EMPLOYEES WHO CAME TO THE PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY... ABOUT 70 PEOPLE... LIVE IN THE CITY OF JACKSON