Council extends trash service contract

New contract calls for trash carts to be provided by Allied Waste

— City council on Monday approved extending the city’s solid waste contract with Allied Waste through Dec. 31, 2016, with no cost increase through Dec. 31, 2012.

In its contract renewal offer, Allied Waste offered to forego a rate increase of 3 percent, as permitted in its contract because of an even greater increase in the Consumer Price Index for trash service, if the city would convert to using 95-gallon poly-carts (or 65-gallon carts if customers don’t need the large carts) supplied by Allied Waste Services. The carts provided to each trash customer allow for automated loading and emptying in most instances.

The contract extension was recommended to the council by the water and sewer committee because of the excellent service provided by Allied.

Also discussed in connection with the contract extension was an ordinance change to require city residents to remove trash cans from city easements to a place behind the front of homes and buildings. Since it will likely be the spring of next year before all trash customers are supplied with the new trash receptacles, it was suggested that an ordinance be made ready to take effect at that time.

Once all trash customers are supplied with the new trash receptacles, the trash service will quit picking up trash in other containers. The contract includes picking up one bulky item per week on the regularly scheduled pick-up day.

The new trash receptacles have hinged lids and wheels so that they can be easily rolled curbside on scheduled weekly trash pick-up days.

In other business, the council passed on its second reading an ordinance setting new ward boundaries to comply with state law because of new population figures from the 2010 Census. The ordinance will be brought back for its third and final reading at the regular November meeting.

Also approved was the placement of four-way stop signs at the corners of East Crawford Street and North Otis and at East Main Street and North Robin Road. Included in the resolution was a leftturn restriction on West Second Street onto South Little Avenue.

The council, by general consensus, gave Mayor Kevin Johnston approval to research costs related to adding a number of new street lights and purchasing a second snow plow of the same make and model as the city’s current plow to make it possible for the city to keep up with street clearing in the event of heavysnows. The information will be taken back to the street and alley committee before being brought back to the full council for a purchasing decision.

Johnston was also told to express interest and take to the finance committee an offer to sell the city the old “snack shack” building, immediately east of the court office.

The owner of the building, according to Johnston, was giving the city a first chance to purchase the building before putting it up for sale because of the building’s history, being one of the oldest buildings on Main Street.

Discussed in connection to the offer was a program used by the city of Savannah, Ga., to purchase and make structurally safe old buildings and resell them. Councilwoman Janie Parks said the city, through a non-profit arm, has purchased and resold 2,000 structures in over 40 years, one building at atime. Parks proposed the city look at doing a similar thing, though on a much smaller scale, to help clean up the city.

“This would be a perfect start,” said councilman Michael Crawford. “I don’t think we could find anything smaller.”

In an informational report to the council, Johnston told the council the new heating and air conditioning system installed in the building which houses the police station and the court/council chambers had reduced energy usage over two of the summer billing periods, including the hottest days of the summer, by 18 1/2 and 20 1/2 percent, resulting in significant savings to thecity.

The new HVAC system was replaced through grant funding the city received.

Also reported was a Nov. 8 leaf and yard waste pickup, with a limb pick-up tentatively scheduled for the week of Nov. 14th.

School News, Pages 11 on 10/05/2011