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New trash schedule starts Aug.11
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| Frank W. Witowski, Jr./Daily Press Paragould resident John Paskel spoke at Monday night’s city council meeting asking them to reconsider the ordinance of changing trash to once a week. Here, Paskel is speaking with city councilman Charles Long following the meeting. |
By FRANK M. WITOWSKI JR.
fwitowski@paragoulddailypress.com
It’s official. Residential garbage pickup will be once a week in Paragould as of Aug. 11.
The city council approved the new ordinance Monday night after much discussion at sanitation committee meetings. The council established new boundaries for residential pick-up as well. Instead of working areas by ward, trash pick-up will be categorized by Highway 49 or Highway 412. A dumpster, which will be monitored, will be placed in front of the Public Works building as a convenience for trash customers in extenuating circumstances.
Resident Marvin Wright expressed concern because he feels people are already littering with their trash and that is with two garbage pick-ups a week.
“I wish an ordinance would pass to not put out garbage prior to the morning of pickup,” Wright said.
Paragould resident John Paskel wished the council would consider keeping the service twice a week and adding a 33 percent cost hike which he said “is just the price of two Sunday newspapers a month.”
“I’d rather see the price go up,” Paskel said. “It [Having two trash pick up days] is one of the best services of the community. I think that people would rather pay more than lose the service. I’d rather pay $2.50 than lose the service.”
He said a 33 percent rate increase would bring trash pick up from $7.50 to $10 a month.
Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill said everyone who called in to his office to voice their opinion asked him to please keep the rate as it is.
“The people that called and emailed said please don’t make the rates go up,” Gaskill said.
Paragould City councilman Mark Rowland interjected that some people are on fixed income and $2.50 a month would put a strain on them. He said some people are struggling to pay for medicine.
“The easiest thing we could have done is to raise the rates,” Rowland said. “People with fixed incomes have said $2.50 is a lot for me.”
Nearly echoing Wright’s sentiments, resident Dwight Atkins said he understood the council’s reasoning to change trash pick-up to once a week but said he felt a penalty should be put on those that put out trash early.
Gaskill said if this new concept would not reduce costs significantly enough, the council would have to find another way to reduce costs. He said he feels this is the best way to try to fix the sanitation department’s problematic budget caused by the fuel costs.
In other new business:
• The council approved that the traffic light on Pruett and Court St. be changed permanently into a four-way stop sign.
• Two resolutions for condemnation of properties was approved. The properties affected were owned by Mary Faye Adams and Eugene P. Ward.
The city council approved the new ordinance Monday night after much discussion at sanitation committee meetings. The council established new boundaries for residential pick-up as well. Instead of working areas by ward, trash pick-up will be categorized by Highway 49 or Highway 412. A dumpster, which will be monitored, will be placed in front of the Public Works building as a convenience for trash customers in extenuating circumstances.
Resident Marvin Wright expressed concern because he feels people are already littering with their trash and that is with two garbage pick-ups a week.
“I wish an ordinance would pass to not put out garbage prior to the morning of pickup,” Wright said.
Paragould resident John Paskel wished the council would consider keeping the service twice a week and adding a 33 percent cost hike which he said “is just the price of two Sunday newspapers a month.”
“I’d rather see the price go up,” Paskel said. “It [Having two trash pick up days] is one of the best services of the community. I think that people would rather pay more than lose the service. I’d rather pay $2.50 than lose the service.”
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Paragould Mayor Mike Gaskill said everyone who called in to his office to voice their opinion asked him to please keep the rate as it is.
“The people that called and emailed said please don’t make the rates go up,” Gaskill said.
Paragould City councilman Mark Rowland interjected that some people are on fixed income and $2.50 a month would put a strain on them. He said some people are struggling to pay for medicine.
“The easiest thing we could have done is to raise the rates,” Rowland said. “People with fixed incomes have said $2.50 is a lot for me.”
Nearly echoing Wright’s sentiments, resident Dwight Atkins said he understood the council’s reasoning to change trash pick-up to once a week but said he felt a penalty should be put on those that put out trash early.
Gaskill said if this new concept would not reduce costs significantly enough, the council would have to find another way to reduce costs. He said he feels this is the best way to try to fix the sanitation department’s problematic budget caused by the fuel costs.
In other new business:
• The council approved that the traffic light on Pruett and Court St. be changed permanently into a four-way stop sign.
• Two resolutions for condemnation of properties was approved. The properties affected were owned by Mary Faye Adams and Eugene P. Ward.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of paragoulddailypress.com.
Felisa wrote on Aug 11, 2008 8:50 AM:
" Well, now you're essentially paying an increase in rates of $3.75, because you're still paying the same for one pick up as you were for two. $2.50 a month is easy to come by when you cut out something very small, like a couple of drinks in town, a small meal out, even a bag of chips or a case of cokes, which is usually more expensive than that, and these things are not necessary or good for us anyways. In another town, we paid $10 a month for one pick up a week, and we were limited to the number of bags we could have. I think the suggested $2.50 a month is extremely reasonable to keep our quality of life at a decent standard. Take away a few of the rights and liberties of most, just to please a small number, and soon everyone loses them all. I just bought an additional garbage can and may have to have another. It's pretty silly for a family of four to have to have three garbage cans. The city got their rate increase without having to actually raise our rates. So, there you go. Did you think about that? Pretty sneaky, wasn't it? "
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Denise Wolfe wrote on Jul 29, 2008 1:57 PM: