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Council apporves increase in pick-up fees
Residential and commercial trash and recycling rates up 7.5 percent
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The Fennimore Common Council approved an ordinance to amend the City’s municipal code relating to residential and commercial trash and recycling pick-up fees during a meeting Tuesday night, May 28.
The amendment will result in a 7.5 percent increase in pick-up fees. The ordinance will take effect June 15. The Aug. 1 utility billing will be the first to reflect the new rate schedule.
Each residential unit will now pay a base rate of $7.53 per month, while the low-income residential rate will now be $3.76. The base commercial rate will now be $9.84 per month.
Due to lower than expected revenues, the City’s residential and commercial trash and recycling program suffered a loss of $5,823.80 in 2012.
Alderpersons Greg Fry and David Streif voted against the measure, which passed by a 7-2 margin.
Truck approved, plow denied
Earlier in the meeting, the Council approved the purchase of a 4x4 truck to be used at the wastewater treatment plant. However, the purchase of a snow plow to be used with the truck was denied.
“Currently, we plow wastewater treatment plant and bill the sewer department for that,” Director of Public Works Dennis Biddick explained. “They currently have a two-wheel drive truck. It doesn’t help push snow and it doesn’t help get around too well in the winter time.”
Biddick proposed the purchase of a 2013 Ford F250 truck from Fillback Ford, Highland, for $21,894. The purchase was budgeted for, City Clerk/Treasurer Margaret Sprague noted.
Alderperson Joe McBee made a motion to approve the purchase of the truck and alderperson Linda Stephenson seconded the motion.
Alderpersons Jessie Strack, Sara Brodt, Streif and Fry voted “no,” while alderpersons Gerald Bollant, Philip Nelson, McBee and Stephenson voted “yes.”
Mayor Charles Stenner broke the stalemate with a “yes” vote.
Discussion then turned to the potential purchase of a snow plow to be mounted on the new truck.
Biddick proposed the purchase of a 7.5’ Western Plow for $4,002 from Braudt Automotive.
“Buy a set of chains for $100,” Streif said. “It is a lot cheaper than a $4,000 plow.”
When Stenner asked twice for a motion on the matter with no response it appeared the matter died at the table, but Bollant later made a motion to approve the purchase of the plow.
Stephenson seconded Bollant’s motion, but Brodt, Strack, Streif, McBee, Fry and Nelson voted “no,” defeating the motion, 7-2.
In other action, the Council:
• approved a $2,800 bid by Water Tower Clean & Coat, Inc. to clean the exterior of the east water tower in the City’s industrial park. Three bids were received.
“Water Tower Clean & Coat actually has a patented process to clean towers that is all robotic,” Biddick explained. “They just hang cables from the top down and have robots that go up and down and clean it.”
• approved a proposal by Scott Construction, Inc. to perform chip sealing of the City’s streets in 2013.
The proposal of $1.42 per square yard will included 7th Street, from Garfield to Cleveland; Cleveland Street, from 9th to 7th; Wisconsin Street, from 10th to 11th; 12th Street, from Lincoln to Wilson; 8th Street, from Jefferson to Lincoln; 11th Street, from Wisconsin to a dead end.
“It prolongs the life of the streets,” Biddick said. “It is something we do every year.”
• approved a $3,200 bid by Atlas Roofing Company to repair the roof of the diesel plant. Three bids were received.
The work will include pressure washing the existing roof, priming bare spots, caulking flashing as needed and applying a new Fibered Aluminum Roof Coating, according to a memo from Biddick to the Council.
Following a brief closed session, the Council approved hiring Mark Schoepp as a wastewater treatment plant operator.
Schoepp, a former alderperson, most recently worked for Greg’s Auto World, which closed last month.