Contract Will Allow City A Choice on Recycling.

Members of the Public Works Committee voted to recommend to the full Council that the City retain the present trash hauling contract including curbside recycling as voted on last fall by the Council. The vote was three to one with H. J. Johnson voting against the motion. Committee members Bill Fortune, Trisha Burgi-Brewer, and Charlie Bastin voted for.

The five year contract entered into last year calls for curbside recycling to begin this October. Fees for the recycling program, starting at $1.29 for a family and $1.49 for a single person per month, would be mandatory, participation in the program would not. The City currently provides a free recycling drop off station at the old City landfill.

Discussion began with City Administrator Tom Short summarizing a letter from American Disposal Services sent at the request of Mayor Ken Johnson and the Council. The Mayor and a few City Council members who oppose charging a mandatory recycling fee had asked for information from American regarding the City’s contract and the ability to delay the start of curbside recycling.

"The options are pretty much open for us," said Short. "Whatever we decide to do, they can do. The only caveat is that if we decide to start the curbside program, and they purchase the equipment then we’ll have those rates from here on out whether we decide to stop the recycling program or not."

Short explained that if the City decided against beginning curbside recycling this fall, American would honor rates quoted last year during the bid process for trash-only pickup.

In discussion with Committee Chair Bill Fortune, Lowell Berliew of American explained that if he had already purchased the necessary equipment in anticipation of starting curbside recycling in Carthage this fall and the City then decided not to implement it, he does believe the current contract would entitle him to the recycling rates specified.

Berliew said he does not believe the contract needs to be renegotiated and emphasized that the rates really depend on whether the company purchases the additional equipment for recycling. American and the City may mutually agree not to implement curbside recycling. If the City goes ahead with curbside recycling, American needs a decision within the next two weeks in order to have the equipment available for an October 1 start date.

With those options explained, discussion centered between Committee Members Trisha Burgi-Brewer and Johnson. Johnson was not on the Council last fall when they voted on recycling.

"I don’t have anything against recycling," said Johnson.

"You seem to," said Burgi-Brewer.

"No, I don’t," said Johnson. "I have trouble with me paying so you don’t have to go to the landfill (recycling center)."

"Well, I don’t like to pay for a golf course, I don’t like to pay for a Victorian bus, I don’t like to pay for that water tower sign that nobody can see or irrigated flower boxes, but I am," said Burgi-Brewer. "This $12 or $15 per year is negligible compared to some other things that we seem to throw our money around on."

"You’re not throwing your money around, you’re throwing someone else’s money around," said Johnson. "If you want the City to pay for it, we can talk about that."

Johnson was referring to the fact that households are billed for the service rather than the City paying for it with tax dollars.

"We’re staring at about $6000 a month that curbside recycling is going to cost the residents of Carthage or $72,000 a year," said Burgi-Brewer. "I’m sorry folks, but we spend a lot less time on a lot more expensive projects than we have quibbling about $72,000 a year."

"We’re committing $72,000 for the next four years, to me it’s imposing that on people," said Johnson. "For us to step outside our governmental role and impose a service that has nothing to do with the health and welfare of the community, for us to force that on people, is not our role. If we want to take it on as a community, as the City government, and pay for that extra service then we can deal with it and how to raise the money for it. To just impose a quarter of a million dollars of payments on people without any recourse except to do it I think is not the right way to approach it."

"First, I think it does apply to the health and welfare of the City," said Fortune. "It may not be as obvious as other things, and secondly, we imposed upon them the original contract, they didn’t have a choice not to participate. What if they don’t want their trash picked up?"

"There is a reason to take trash out of this community," responded Johnson. "There is not a reason for a clean, labelless plastic bottle not to sit in someone’s house. There is a reason for a sack of garbage not to sit in their house."

"H.J. we could impose this through our tax system, but we have chosen to pursue it through Carthage Water and Electric billing," said Burgi-Brewer. "It could be handled in a lot of different ways. Whether it’s a coming through CW&EP for a service or whether it comes out of your personal property taxes or sales taxes, it’s ultimately out of your pocket. Which pocket it comes out of really doesn’t matter, it’s the same thing."

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

For those who have grown accustomed to seein’ occasional local political comments in this column, there is good news, I’m gonna refrain from such activities as long as I am a member of the City Council.

That doesn’t mean ya won’t be hearin’ about what’s goin’ on, that will stay on the front page as usual.

When I have things to bring to your attention concernin’ the Council, I will use the same tools available to any Council member, the letter to the editor option.

As has always been the policy of the Mornin’ Mail, the opinion column is where individuals have the opportunity to openly debate various view points of any particular issue. I’m sure there will be plenty of fodder for Just Jake outside of the Council Chamber.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click and Clack Talk Cars

Dear Tom and Ray:

I recently purchased a '79 Ford Mustang 302 V8. The car has only 70,000 miles now, and was originally owned by a little old lady. It's a great car and goes like Leona Helmsley being chased by the IRS. My problem is that it's using coolant. I have to add coolant every three to five days. I find no drips under the car, no leak from the heater core, and no white smoke coming out the tailpipe. Oh, where, oh where has my antifreeze gone, oh where, oh where can it be? - Dave.

TOM: Your "eyeball" methods won't cut it here, Davey, my boy. For instance, your coolant could only be leaking when you drive. Something like a rusted freeze plug might only leak when the engine is at operating temperature and pressure, and not when it's sitting in your driveway.

RAY: Alternatively, while coolant vapor might be coming out the tailpipe (what you describe as "white smoke"), it might not be easily visible.

TOM: You need to take this to a mechanic and have him do a pressure test. Have him get the car up to operating temperature, put a pressure tester on it, and leave it over night. Then you'll see where it's leaking (and it IS leaking from somewhere).

RAY: If it's not leaking externally (i.e., from a freeze plug, water pump or hose), it has to be leaking inside the engine, in which case your mechanic will find coolant inside one or more of the cylinders.

TOM: In most cases that would point to a bad head gasket. But we've rarely seen head gaskets blow on these engines, which means the news is worse; it's more likely to be a cracked cylinder head or a cracked block.

RAY: Maybe granny was racing this thing on the weekends?

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