VERNON, Ala. — A simple audit will save the City of Vernon roughly $2,000 a month.
Vernon Mayor Glenn Crawford announced a recent audit of the number of units served by Waste Management, who’d been billing an agreed rate of 1,030 units at $12.07 per unit. A recent audit performed by one city official and one Waste Management official, revealed actual units served were 876.
“We save 154 stops at $12 a piece,” Crawford said Monday, during the Vernon City Council’s meeting. “Those are direct savings to the city.”
Crawford noted that the audit must be initiated by the city and that the previous rate was agreed upon by Waste Management and the city. The rate for garbage disposal at each stop will increase from $12.07 to $12.19,
Crawford said. The new rate began Aug. 1.
The next audit won’t take place for another two to three years.
Waste Management calculates its number of stops by trash can. Customers are billed per trash can, and Crawford said there are 11 units that have two cans but are being billed for one. Crawford said the council will decide how to address the issue at a later date.
■ Crawford announced the city received a “5-5x” fire safety rating from the Insurance Services Office, which is “good for a town our size,” said Crawford. The rating is about on par with the city’s previous rating of a 5, Crawford said. ISO ratings include water system tests and a review of fire stations/personnel.
■ The board unanimously approved the conversion and replacement of six lights at the city park.
■ A request from the Alabama Retirement Systems for the city to invest $300 a month for state retirement of city employees did not receive a motion for voting consideration. The current council did not vote the last two times it received the request.
■ The council addressed the high volume of political signs around the city and will give candidates who are no longer in a race for public office two weeks to remove them. Crawford said the city will bill the former candidates for time used by city employees to remove the signs.
■ Crawford announced the city will issue a purchase order up to $1,000 to the Vernon Beautification Committee; the Vernon Industrial Board and Vernon Chamber of Commerce have agreed to donate $1,000, too. The money will be used to plant flowers and bushes throughout the city.
■ Councilman Mike Covington read a letter from Vernon Police Chief Ted Collins, who warned of a growing number of people driving go-carts and 4-wheelers on city roads, which is illegal and dangerous, he said. He implored residents to refrain from driving these types of vehicles on highways and city streets.
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