Reducing trash service could save city $15,000 per year
Staff writer
Once a week trash pickup and buying fuel in bulk were two options Marion City Council discussed Monday afternoon in a special work session to try to offset a nearly 2.5 mill increase for the 2009 budget.
City administrator David Mayfield told the council that going to a once a week trash service could save the city as much as $15,000. There was no dollar amount of savings provided for purchasing bulk fuel instead of on an as-needed basis.
Currently Marion residents are enjoying twice a week trash service which means additional part-time people being hired. Councilman Steven Smith asked if the city reduced the service would any employees would be laid off. Mayfield said “no,” there would be other jobs for them to do.
Street superintendent Marty Fredrickson told the council that even though the city was reducing the number of days of picking up trash, there still would be the same amount of trash to haul. The trash truck will be idling and using fuel, he said, while workers pick up several bags or empty full containers.
Commercial trash service would not change.
Earlier Mayfield had suggested the council eliminate free trash bags but keep a supply of the heavy, clear bags for those who want to purchase them. The council was in consensus that the free trash bags were a good service and wanted to retain it. If the council would have eliminated the free trash bags, it would have saved the city $11,000 per year, which added with the reduction of trash service, the city could have saved a total of $26,000.
Poly carts are available from the city for $90 which may be an option for some residents who generate more than one bag of trash per week.
The discussion about bulk fuel began when Mayor Mary Olson asked Mayfield if there was any type of fuel savings plan the city could implement. Mayfield said he was not aware of any fuel savings plan but had been in contact with Cardie Oil Company about purchasing bulk fuel.
Tanks could be furnished by Cardie Oil or the city can purchase some. If the tanks are furnished by the oil company then the city only can purchase fuel from Cardie Oil. If the city purchases the tanks, the city could obtain bids with the lower fuel being purchased.
Another discussion point was the city’s lease agreement with Butler Community College.
Currently BCC pays the city $25 per year to lease the former Bown Corby School building. In the past, the city has assisted the college with major repairs, paying 25 percent, and the college is requesting assistance in replacing the roof. Mayfield said the lease agreement indicated the college was responsible for maintenance and improvements of the building.
Mayor Mary Olson said the college was an important asset to the community and didn’t want to jeopardize relations with the college by being too stringent.
However, the council agreed that maybe it was time to negotiate a new lease that would be more appropriate since the college was paying the City of Hillsboro $500 per month for the use of a building for a class.
The city and college have had a lease agreement since 1993. The current lease ends in 2012.
The budget hearing will be at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25, with the council approving it at the same meeting.