Beginning Oct. 1, Columbus residents will pay a dollar more for trash pickup.
The City Council Tuesday voted 4 to 1 to increase Columbus Light and Water customers” monthly garbage fees from $14 to $15.
The move, which Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem opposed, came after the council voted 5 to 1 to approve a new six-year contract for the city with Golden Triangle Waste Services.
Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor, who is recovering from back surgery, was absent from Tuesday”s meeting.
“Columbus is in an enviable position, as far as our rates are concerned,” said Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box, who made the motion to increase customers” garbage fees. “We”re on the low end (compared to rates in surrounding areas.)”
“Folks are having a hard time already with their utility bills,” noted Karriem. “If it”s not a necessity, why are we doing it?”
The city”s chief operations officer, David Armstrong, noted the contract, which will be in effect from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, 2017, is similar to the city”s current contract, with few exceptions.
Under the new contract, if normal trash collection days fall on a holiday, crews will pick up trash on the next regularly scheduled pick-up day, instead of the next business day as the current contract stipulates.
Additionally, the city monthly will be billed $11.55 for each metered CL&W customer, an increase from the current fee of $11.41.
The $1 increase city customers will pay will bring about $72,000 to the city”s general fund and the additional money likely will be used when the city needs another landfill, Armstrong said.
“It”s a very good rate compared to the areas around us,” said the city”s chief financial officer, Mike Bernsen, noting the city disposes of about 821 tons of trash annually into the existing landfill.
“We”re getting a bang for our buck,” he added.
In other matters, the council:
- Declared an East Columbus subdivision as an emergency work area.
Director of Federal Programs Travis Jones informed the council the declaration was a requirement to receive a $100,000 grant to alleviate flooding — through repair of water and sewer lines and related actions — in areas around Taylor, Florence and Maple streets in East Columbus.
- Approved a request to submit a grant application for funds to connect the Riverwalk with the new soccer complex being constructed in the Burns Bottom area.
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors earlier voted to pay half the required $120,000 match on the $600,000 Mississippi Department of Transportation Enhancement Program Funding grant.
The council voted to pay a match not to exceed $65,000. The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors Monday agreed to pay up to the same amount.
- Approved a request to submit an application for a grant to expand Bluecutt Road.
The MDOT Surface Transportation Program grant would require a $200,000 match from the city and the funds would be used to expand Bluecutt Road — from Military Road to Seventh Street — from two lanes to three lanes, including the addition of curbs and gutters and roadway, striping and drainage improvements, said City Engineer Kevin Stafford, adding the two intersections also soon will be upgraded as part of the $1 million project.
Karriem voted against the motion to submit the application.
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