By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
Implementation of a major change in the way the city handles garbage and yard waste pickup is under way, according to Mayor Dwight Tankersley.
Tankersley is meeting with representatives of a company that manufactures automated garbage trucks this week to write the bid specifications for the equipment.
"We'll put the trucks (three) out for bids as soon as possible. This is a priority since it will take three to four months for them to be made and delivered," he said.
Tankersley said the target date for the city to begin collecting its own garbage, as well as implementing once-a-week containerized yard waste pickup, is mid-February 2006. Until that time, garbage pickup will continue under contract with Morgan County Environmental Services even though its four-year contract with the city ended July 1.
"They have agreed to extend the contract for six months," Tankersley said. "We have made the request by resolution and they have indicated they will approve it at their next meeting."
He added that construction will start on a garbage transfer station at the landfill as soon as a permit is obtained from the State Health Department.
"We're in the process of determining where to locate the facility. Public works will do the site preparation and we'll put the construction work out for bids," he added.
Tankersley said the possibility of the county partnering with the city on the proposed garbage transfer station has been discussed with Commission Chairman John Glasscock and Ricky Brooks, director of Morgan County Environmental Services. "They weren't interested in being a partner but indicated they would consider using it on a fee-pay basis. I told them we would need to have the station operational before we could set up a fair fee for its use."
Tankersley said garbage pickup routes will be changed to accommodate a four-day pickup schedule. Pickup trucks currently operate five days a week. He added that his goal is weekly pickup for large yard waste items such as tree limbs.
To implement the plan, the city will spend $480,000 for three garbage trucks, $432,000 for waste containers, $89,162 for a transfer station, $83,000 for a transfer trailer and $50,000 for a transfer truck.
The plan will be financed from revenues generated by the current $9.50 per month garbage pickup fee.