FERNDALE — Rising fuel costs are having an impact on more than wallets at the gas pump. Area garbage pick-up rates are set to go up as well.
The Bell County Garbage Board of Directors received an increase request during their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday. Mills Brothers Garbage Service asked to increase their monthly customer rates by 50 cents a month. Board Chairman Kirby Smith stated to Shelia Smith (no relation) that any increase in rates, if granted, would be a fuel surcharge and could be removed if fuel prices went down.
In an October letter to the board, Shelia Smith stated the fuel costs have exceeded their estimates. She said that fuel costs went up 65 cents a gallon from September to October and for those two months their fuel bill had ballooned to $2,047.50 and she asked to be allowed to increase their garbage rates 50 cents a month to cover the additional fuel increase. Since the letter Smith said fuel increased from $2.74 a gallon to $3.24 a gallon, in November.
The board approved the request and increased the rates 50 cents per customer to cover only the cost of fuel.
Shelia Smith said the rates for regular customers would go from $9.50 a month to $10 and that the senior citizens and disabled rates would go up from $8.50 to $9 a month. She also pointed out to receive the reduced rates everyone in the household either has to be disabled or a senior citizen.
The rates will go up starting in January.
Mills Brothers also had previously requested to purchase the old garbage compactor from the board. Chairman Kirby Smith stated he had two people look at the compactor and they had stated the price should be $10,000 if they sold the machinery.
It was pointed out by Mills Brothers that one of the compactor’s bins could not be used, as it was beyond repair. He asked the price be reduced to $9,000. The board said they wanted $9,500 for the machinery and Mills Brothers approved.
In another matter the board approved the PRIDE Educational Outreach Program, to bring recycling information to all of Bell County’s grade schools.
Solid Waste Enforcement Officer Dewey Brock’s report to the board was approved. He has written 62 warnings to customers who dropped off garbage service. Bell County requires every family sign up for service and if they drop it and don’t sign up again soon, they are taken to court. Brock also documented and wrote 16 complaints. Ten new customers have signed up for garbage.
Brock has identified 15 illegal garbage dumps to be cleaned up, and has 24 cases pending in court.
C.J. Harte is a Correspondent for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at charte@middlesborodailynews.com.
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