The aldermen discussed the city’s policy in regards to collecting yard waste at their regular meeting Monday evening and resolved to better follow the current policy, as written.
Alderman Chad Heithold breached the issue by saying he’s received many complaints in regards to the issue. He pointed out the current policy, as written, is that waste will only be collected if bundled and bagged for easy disposal; however, dump trucks and other vehicles are instead currently collecting unbundled piles. Heithold expressed concern at the cost of these large vehicles regularly traversing up and down city streets when a pickup truck could do the job if yard waste piles were properly bundled and the policy strictly followed.
“The only reason I am bringing it up is most of my complaints are that we’ve got a dump truck, a full loader and two other trucks driving around that look like they’re just looking for yard waste piles, and there’s no way to identify them,” Heithold said.
Heithold recommended the current policy, as written, be followed and that large unbundled yard waste piles should only be collected upon request at a rate of $40 per load.
Street Department Superintendent Gary Glenn said following the policy more strictly would save his workers more time and effort.
“If we go with what we have down here it would make it go so much faster, it would make a huge difference,” Glenn said. “If all we were picking up were bags like what we approved originally, we could have one man in a truck, split it up four ways, and have it done in no time.”
Glenn explained that before he took over as superintendent exceptions to the policy started being made and eventual the issue snowballed into the current situation.
Mayor Brad Nash endorsed Heithold’s proposal.
“I think most people will conform to it, it’s just going to be an issue of communication,” Nash said.
City Administrator Ray Walden said notification can be made to the public via local media and established billing procedures.
City resident John Hambacker expressed concern that the action may have the unintended consequence of increasing burning of brush piles. Nash advised that ordinances address unauthorized burning within the city limits and residents should notify law enforcement if an illegal burning is taking place.
The only vote made in relation to the discussion concerned amending the policy’s language to reflect collecting yard waste the first Monday of the month only, which is what the city is currently doing, and not a month’s first and third Monday, which is how the policy is currently written. The motion passed 3-0, alderwoman Molly Zettel was not present at the meeting.
• Nash thanked city workers for getting Cedar Grove Cemetery in good shape in time for Memorial Day in his report. Nash also said the new lawn mowing policy’s implementation is going well, he had a good meeting with the city’s new fireworks technician in concern to the upcoming Fourth of July show at the Dent County Commons and that he is still working with city code enforcement to address blighted properties.
• Walden reported the county’s tourism tax commission has agreed to pay the requested $4,000 towards covering the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show. Walden said he has not received an answer as to if the county commission will cover the $4,000 he solicited earlier this year. A public survey is now underway from Jump Start as part of the economic development grant awarded from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The city’s park board will be meeting at 7 p.m. today (Tuesday) at Salem Community Center @ the Armory and the city’s finance committee will hold a meeting at 6 p.m. June 13 at the Armory. Walden also said he and other officials attended a meeting earlier in the day concerning a USDA broadband Internet grant and city officials will be in Columbia Thursday for a training offered by the Missouri Municipal League.
• Park and Recreation Director Tye Lydon reported officials will be doing a site visit Friday as part of the City Park accessibility grant opportunity. Lydon said no decision has been made whether the city will receive the grant money.
• Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Jerry Craig reported to the aldermen that the commission held a meeting prior to the evening’s city council meeting at which he was reelected chairman, Keith Inman was elected as vice chairman and Joe Shelton was elected to the commission to fill the vacancy left by Chuck Bailey.
• The aldermen voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to apply for the federal COPs grant, which would pay 75 percent of the cost of a new police officer for three years. Walden said the deadline for the grant is June 23 and estimated that if awarded would cost the city no more than $20,000 per year, or 25 percent of an officer’s salary, plus benefits.
• The aldermen voted unanimously to place a $550 cap on the cost of monthly health insurance premiums the city will cover per month. Employees will pay the difference if they choose a coverage option which is in excess of that figure, Walden said.
• The aldermen voted unanimously to rezone 1102 South McArthur Street from residential to commercial. The vote came upon the recommendation of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission which held a hearing prior to the aldermen meeting at which no objections were voiced.
• The aldermen voted unanimously to pass Ordinance 3312, which authorizes the mayor to enter into a Power Supply and Administration Agreement among Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission and the city as a member of Mid-Missouri Municipal Power Energy Pool.
• The aldermen voted unanimously to accept a bid from Marty Farrar of Ozark Kings for used electric poles for $40.
