Trash Contract Still Hot Topic

The solid waste removal contract under consideration in the full Council was again a topic of discussion in Tuesday’s Public Works Committee meeting. Committee member Trisha Burgi-Brewer raised the topic by asking Committee members if they wanted to make a second recommendation since their original recommendation was not presented to the Council.

The bill presented at last week’s Council meeting did not include curbside recycling as the Committee had recommended. Second reading of the bill is scheduled for next week’s Council meeting.

Committee member Larry Ross expressed regrets that the bill under consideration does not contain mandatory curbside recycling and said he doesn’t have any confidence that a drop-off site for recycling will work.

"Well, we can re-recommend, can we not?" asked Burgi-Brewer.

"The Mayor’s just going to knock it down," said Ross.

"I don’t think he will," said Burgi-Brewer. "He acknowledged his mistake."

Committee Chair Bill Fortune said he was content to let the situation stay as is.

"It’s going to come up for debate, and if people don’t want that council bill they’ll vote it down," said Fortune. "The whole Council voted that they didn’t want curbside recycling, basically."

"The whole Council didn’t get the chance to talk," responded Burgi-Brewer.

"I know what Trisha’s referring to and it is true because we all saw it," said Committee member Charlie Bastin. "I absolutely abhorred it too. The full issue wasn’t discussed and she was rudely cut off, and that’s just not right. I don’t care if it’s the Mayor or anybody."

"We want to see to it that you get your chance to fully debate the issue," Bastin continued.

Burgi-Brewer went on to explain her belief that American Disposal, the successful bidder if the council bill passes, did not adhere to the specifications in the City’s request for proposals.

Language in the request specifies that Missouri statutes and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulations must be met by the haulers. Burgi-Brewer contends that American is the low bidder because they do not use a Missouri landfill and do not meet the stated requirements. At Missouri landfills, yard waste and trash must be separated, but in Kansas they do not have to be separated. American Disposal uses a Kansas landfill as does one other bidder, USA Waste.

"Deliberately circumventing our bid proposal specs has allowed them to reduce their bid by $300,000 compared to the next lowest bidder," said Burgi-Brewer referring to American. "I don’t believe I’m wrong on these issues, am I?"

"Yes, you are," was the response from Assistant to the City Engineer Joe Butler.

Butler strongly disagreed with Burgi-Brewer’s interpretation. Butler wrote the request for proposals and explained that the intent of the language regarding Missouri statutes and DNR was to ensure that materials were properly disposed of, not to require companies to use Missouri landfills. Butler said if a company uses a landfill in a different state, the requirements of that state must be met.

Butler attributed American’s low bid not to their use of a Kansas landfill ,but to the fact that they are the current hauler and want to retain the contract.

Burgi-Brewer continued to contend that American is not in compliance with the bid specs and that the intent behind the language in the request for proposals differs from the actual language. Burgi-Brewer questioned whether the higher bidders who bid the contract to meet Missouri regulations were being treated fairly. Butler responded that all bidders had opportunities to ask questions concerning the specifications prior to submitting their proposals and no one raised the questions Burgi-Brewer is asking.

Committee Chair Bill Fortune closed the discussion saying no decision would be reached in Committee and Burgi-Brewer’s concerns should be taken to the full Council.

"That can be your opinion and you can express it," said Fortune. "I will support her right to speak and I imagine everyone else will as well.

Citizen Participation at Public Works.

Two residents spoke during the citizen participation portion of Tuesday afternoon’s Public Works Committee meeting. Sandy Schuske raised the issue of sidewalk repairs as she had at last week’s Council meeting.

"Lamar is fixing their sidewalks, surely Carthage can as well," said Schuske. "How do we get the City moving on this?"

Committee Chair Bill Fortune acknowledged more than a year of ongoing discussions on this issue and said there is money budgeted this year toward the repair of City owned sidewalks.

"We have to make a political decision, basically, as to how the City is going to address the sidewalk problem," said Fortune. "It is my intention as soon as we finish the solid waste contract to make sidewalks an agenda item and try to resolve it."

The City’s new curb and gutter incentive program may be called upon to help solve a resident’s problem on Buena Vista Avenue.

Sylvia Bader of Buena Vista Avenue described a storm water runoff problem which exists across the front of her property and problems with standing water which have increased since a new home was built on the lot south of her.

Assistant to the City Engineer Joe Butler explained that Buena Vista is a narrow road which has been developed in a piecemeal fashion. It has a ditch to help carry water north from Laura to Fairview, some privately financed curb and guttering, and then an area with no ditch and no curb and guttering where the Bader’s live.

"Why wasn’t Buena Vista curbed and guttered when the lot was sold in the development?" asked Street Commissioner Tom Shelley. "That would have solved a lot of problems right there."

Shelley went on to say that if the house faces Buena Vista and the lot was sold to Bader by the developer of the surrounding area then Buena Vista should have been included in curb and guttering at the time of development.

Committee member Larry Ross suggested that curb and guttering this area might be covered under the contractor’s curb and gutter reimbursement incentive program. Butler said the homeowner was not eligible for the program, but the developer of the area, Pat Phelps, would be.

Fortune asked that Butler speak with Phelps about the possibility of participating in the reimbursement program and curb and guttering the block from Laura to Wendy.

"There might be no cost to him and everybody comes out in good shape," said Fortune. continued on next page

Demolition Bids.

Bids for a demolition at 701 E. 10th Street were opened at the Public Works Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon. Four bids were received and will be taken under advisement until a recommendation is made at the next Committee meeting. Chuck McConnell was the low bid at $2140, and B&D Yard Builders offered the next lowest at $2920. Glenn Simmons’ bid was $4250, and the highest bid of $4996 was from Greathouse Backhoe Services.

"Discover Southwest Missouri"

Debut on Blunt Web Page.

Seventh District Congressman Roy Blunt has included a pictoral perspective on Southwest Missouri in his Congressional Home Page (http://www.house.gov/blunt/). Residents of Barton, Cedar, Christian, Jasper, Newton, and Taney Counties have submitted photos about landmarks and events that are uniquely Southwest Missouri's for Blunt's Internet site.. Photos and stories from McDonald, Greene, and Ozark Counties will be added to Blunt's "Discover" section in early August. For now, the remaining counties are not represented on Blunt's home page.

"We need even more pictures and stories, Blunt said. "to ensure that every county has a pictoral story on the Internet for the world to see. Anyone with a picture that illustrates Southwest Missouri's history, culture, development or landmarks and its people are urged to send them in so we can put them on the web site."

Among the photos on the "Discover Southwest Missouri" pages are the Truman Birthplace and the Stilabower Observatory in Lamar. A poem and a picture of the "Johnny Reb" statue in Jasper County is included, along with the Eldorado Springs City Park Bandstand, the story of the growth and development of the Branson entertainment scene from the Presley's Jubilee, and the mural at the City Hall in Ozark about the history of Christian County.

Blunt said, "We have a wonderful heritage and great future to talk about and show in Southwest Missouri. Everyone, who has a photograph or an interesting story, can play a part in telling that story." Photos can be returned if they are labeled with correct return information and a suggested description. They should be sent to the Springfield Constituent Service Center, 2740 East Sunshine, Springfield, Missouri 65804.

The Free Will Baptist Christian Academy is Accepting Enrollments.

news release
The Free Will Baptist Christian Academy is now accepting enrollments for fall. The FWBCA utilizes he A.C.E. (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum for grades K-12. This is an individualized educational program with Biblical principals. The academy is located off of Highway 71 & Brooklyn Heights Exit in Carthage. For enrollment information contact, Denise Wagner, School Administrator at 417-35803080, or 417-358-3700

Fiber Optic Link for CW&EP.

The Carthage Water & Electric Plant Board, at their August 4 meeting, voted unanimously to proceed with construction of a fiber optic communication loop. This loop will provide the communication link for connection of all Carthage Water & Electric Plant facilities through a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. The cost of the SCADA/fiber optic system was addressed during the budget process for the 1998-99 CW&EP budget and has since been the focus of CW&EP and City of Carthage officials to identify the many present and future needs for this type of communication network within the City of Carthage.

It is also planned to install additional fiber optic capacity to meet the future needs of various entities of the City of Carthage including the police, fire, hospital, city government, schools, library, county agencies and other entities for future needs.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

There has been an on going discussion for the last several years about the condition of the sidewalks in the City. The real problem is not the lack of funds, although no one doubts it will eventually take plenty. The real problem, as pointed out by Council member Mike Harris, is that there is no plan how to equitably distribute the responsibility of construction, repair and maintenance of sidewalks. This is not fall at the feet of the street or engineerin' departments. For many years the City has been unwilling to enforce its unpopular ordinance that requires property owners to keep sidewalks up to standard. The current Council did address the repair of City owned sidewalks in this year's budget. CW&EP and McCune Brooks have also stepped up with commitments to get their walkways up to par. The feelin' was the City couldn't ask citizens for compliance without first putting their own house in order.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin'.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack
TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a strange problem in my car, which, surprisingly, has improved my dating life! My gas gauge goes straight to empty when the tank reaches half-full. So I appear to have run out of gas a lot, which is a useful illusion on dates! Help. I don't really want to fix it. I just want to know what's going on. -David

TOM: David, you sly little devil, you! When you figure out what causes this, I suggest you immediately market it in college newspapers across the country. You'll be a millionaire.

RAY: Actually, you probably just have a faulty gas tank sending unit, David. There's a float in your gas tank that floats down as the fuel level drops. As the float goes down, the metal contact attached to it slides down a variable resistor. And the contact's point on that resistor tells your gas gauge how much fuel is left. My guess is that the contact on that float/ sending unit isn't touching the bottom half of the resistor anymore.

TOM: It won't hurt anything if you leave it alone. But it will keep you from knowing when you're really about to run out of gas-which can be inconvenient.

RAY: Should you ever decide to fix it (you know, on the rare chance that anyone ever goes out with you more than once and catches onto your scheme), you can have the sending unit in the gas tank replaced for somewhere between $100 and $200. Have fun until then, David.

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