Water, garbage top city agenda
Water, garbage top city agenda
By Jerry W. Kram
The Parshall City Council greeted the New Year by grappling with some of the leftover issues of 2011.
In a relatively brief meeting Tuesday, the council gave final approval to new garbage rates that will take effect for the coming year. City Auditor Larry Zieman reiterated that the rate increase was due primarily to Circle Sanitation increasing what it charges the city for residential garbage service. The city also increased what it charges to cover billing and other administrative expenses. The new garbage rates will be $18 a month for each residence.
The council members also debated what to do with the two large dumpsters the city has been maintaining for the last few years. Circle Sanitation had been hauling off the refuse in those dumpsters at no charge, but that period of free service ended in December. If the city wants to continue having those dumpsters available, it will cost more than $50,000 a year to have the garbage hauled away.
Mayor Richard Bolkan pointed out that originally the dumpsters were emptied once a week, but that wasn’t sufficient. People piled garbage on the ground around the dumpsters until the city had them emptied twice a week. Council members pointed out that some people were using the dumpsters incorrectly, filling them with construction waste and old appliances instead of hauling those materials to the landfill. There was also concern that people would dump their garbage in business owner’s dumpsters or just leave it on the street.
Bolkan suggested that the city could require building owners who get construction permits be required to get their own dumpster to hold construction waste, but no action was taken on the suggestion.
