Council begins readings to increase trash, recycling fees

Resolutions increasing the cost of curbside trash and recycling collection passed from their first to second readings during Monday?s Fairfield City Council meeting.

The resolutions increase the monthly fee per resident from $7.75 to $8.25 for garbage and from $3.76 to $4.25 for recycling, effective April 1.

Councilman Michael Halley explained the increases are necessary to keep pace with the fee charged by Waste Management and to pay down the debt from years of undercharging users.

?We?ve all been paying less than it costs for the service,? he said.

Councilman John Revolinski inquired about the $5 per ton reduction in tipping fees at the Southeast Iowa Multi-County Solid Waste Agency landfill.

?It?s kind of hard to take at the same time that we?re increasing our garbage collection. Is that passed on to us at all through Waste Management? Or are we locked into the contract and it?s not based on tipping fees?? Revolinski asked.

Halley answered tipping fees are not one of the factors impacting the city?s contract with Waste Management ? fuel and cost of living are.

?It?s something we might want to consider when we renegotiate,? Revolinski said.

Mayor Ed Malloy pointed out tying rates to tipping fees would have an adverse effect when tipping fees are raised.

Volunteer center awarded $1,000

Following the recommendation of the ways and means committee, the council voted to award the Fairfield Volunteer Center an additional $1,000 from Local Option Sales Tax community betterment funds this year.

?I?ve thought about it a lot since [the committee reached its recommendation], and I wouldn?t be broken-hearted if this got defeated actually,? said Revolinski, who chairs the committee. ?On one hand, we set our budgets and everyone had to live within the budgets we set last year. On the other hand, I really support the volunteer center, and they?re a hub for so many good works in the community.?

Councilman Tony Hammes supported the allocation to what he feels is a valuable organization, but questioned the council?s policy on mid-year funding requests going forward.

?I think most of us would like to hold the line,? councilwoman Connie Boyer said. She said the $1,000 comes with the stipulation it be spent on core operations.

Malloy suggested the ways and means committee consider its policy during a committee meeting.

City to sell 23rd Street property

The property committee is recommending Fairfield sell the property at 102 S. 23rd St. that was anonymously donated to the city in late 2010.

The council will set a public hearing and accept bids at a future meeting. Since the committee reached its recommendation to sell in late January, two inquiries have been made about the property.

The roughly 8,000-square-foot building, formerly Chappell Studio and Bell?s Honda, and the land on which it sits are valued at $182,000.

Other action

The council approved a resolution granting Hy-Vee Inc. a three-year tax abatement for its new store at 1200 W. Burlington Ave. The land and building are valued at $2.2 million.

The city offers 100 percent, three-year tax abatements as an incentive for new commercial construction.

An ordinance closing the Third Street railroad crossing passed from its second to third reading.

Once the crossing is closed, it is closed to vehicles and foot traffic. Walking across railroad tracks at any location other than an approved crossing is illegal.

Committees establish goals for the year

? The ways and means committee has established the goal of setting the city?s property tax levies below the maximums legally allowed.

The committee also wants to review the city?s health plan this year to look for cost savings.

? The property committee will investigate whether or not Logan Apartments should continue to be a city-owned and operated facility.

The committee also will continue to push for improvements at local trailer courts and to nuisances in general.

? The public safety and transportation committee will concentrate on fixing the city?s potholes with the street department?s new spray injection patching machine.

The committee also will oversee completion of a railroad quiet zone.

? The water and sewer utilities committee plans to buy new accounting software to automate utility invoices, returning to a postcard-type bill.

The committee will continue to work with wastewater superintendent Ellen Myers to make progress on Department of Natural Resources mandates.

? The environmental and franchise utilities committee would like to experiment with a leaf collection service similar to that in Washington, Iowa. Residents would rake their leaves to the curb, and the street department would vacuum them up with equipment the city already owns.