Durham City Council talks trash with Stutzman
Contributing writer
Hank Yoder of Stutzman Refuse Disposal, Inc. presented options Tuesday to the Durham City Council for a new trash hauling contract, since the present contract would soon expire.
Two options were offered. A three-year contract for conventional pickup would cost $6.25 a month per resident for the first year, $6.50 the second, and $6.75 the third. Customers would furnish their own cans or bags or rent one from SRD for $2 per month. Yoder pointed out that most cities were moving to the cart system with the company furnishing carts for all residents. This would be included in a fee of $7.25 for the first year, increasing to $8.25 over a period of five years.
Mayor Glennon Crowther commented that many Durham residences have only one occupant with very little trash. Gary Unruh moved to accept the first option and continue conventional service. On a second from Manuel Kuchda, the motion carried.
Kuchda, incidentally, continues on the council, because the county clerk's office has not yet determined his successor. Neither Kuchda nor any other candidate filed for his seat in the recent election, and the position will be filled by write-in votes.
A city-wide clean-up is scheduled for May 5-10. Yoder explained that everything except hazardous waste can be brought to the dump site. However, appliances should not be placed in the trailer, but set aside separately. Refrigerators legally can be discarded only if stamped by someone authorized to remove freon. He said his company would take care of such removal.
A hazardous waste collection has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Unruh mentioned that people had sometimes been missed by the trash haulers. Yoder promised to work on the problem and added, "Feel free to call if there is a problem, and we'll address that."
Cindy Nuss and Roy Davis also attended the meeting with concerns about tornado preparedness. Davis raised the question of a storm shelter, particularly for travelers passing through town. In the past the pastor of the Baptist church has opened the church for that purpose. However, he will soon move from the parsonage next door, making this option less feasible.
Some council members felt that the church basement was hardly deep enough to provide safety in any case. Ben Goertz suggested the basement at Agri-Producers, Inc. "When it was built, that's what that basement was designed for," Reinhold Winter commented.
Goertz moved to ask the API management for permission to use their basement as a shelter. Winter seconded the motion, which carried.
Davis reported he has organized seven volunteers to act as storm spotters. They are working on perfecting a communication system, which will allow them to establish contact with each other by radio. Asked the time which elapses between the time a storm is spotted and a warning can be issued to the public, Davis estimated at least 10 minutes. He explained that when the Marion dispatcher is called, the communication has to go from there to Topeka and back.
Unruh felt that information cast new light on the question of a siren. "We have a 10-minute gap that may be crucial," he said. "I don't think we can get up a warning device that everybody is going to hear, but some people might."
Goertz remarked, "I think Roy is as good a warning system as we need. He could drive through town with his siren on."
"If he is out in the country, he couldn't get into town in time," said Unruh.
"We could buy a weather radio for everyone in town for a lot less than we'd pay for a siren," opined the mayor. Having looked into the matter, he estimated the siren would cost $20,000.
The council encouraged Davis to continue organizing storm spotters, but deferred other action.
Marvin Rediker, water supervisor, reported 308,710 gallons of water pumped in March, compared to 390,000 gallons the previous month. The lift pumps ran 36 hours, down two hours from last month.
"When I was up at the water conference in Wichita, I learned there are some new things coming up which will require even more paper work," said Rediker.
He mentioned a need to get together with Verlin Sommerfeld, who handles bookkeeping for the water system, and go over the necessary changes.
When Crowther asked Sommerfeld whether he had any problems to report, he replied, "Not really. I've got a couple of people who haven't paid their bill, but that's about average."
Crowther reported receiving a letter from the Pipeline Group announcing a dinner and informational meeting in McPherson Tuesday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m. He said any of the council members are invited to the free dinner at Perkins Restaurant, and some expressed interest in attending. The subject of the program will be assuring safety, when any project requires digging.
Among bills approved for payment was $60.42 for couplings to be used in repairs to the water system. Other bills were routine.
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