Recycling Center cost topic at City Council meeting
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GLENWOOD CITY — One of the agenda items at the City council meeting of April 16 was to discuss the recycling fees that are charged to local residents and business. The council had talked about this matter a month earlier and had banned businesses from bring recycling such as cardboard and newspapers to the center on the City’s west side.
Some months ago the council closed the recycling facility due to the fact that they could not longer sell the items that were collected and baled. The city went to using dumpsters with the city paying a private firm to dispose of the material.
The city bills each household and business on their utility statements $120 annually to cover the operating cost of the recycling center. But now that the city is not able to sell what is collected the city is running a deficient with collecting the public’s recycling. One of the items that was discussed is the amount of cardboard that is brought to the center, with Public Works Director Dave Caress informing the members of the council that it cost the city $280 per month to have the cardboard hauled away.
At the March meeting, the council members were questioned if city business places can’t bring their recyclables to the center, why should they have to pay the $120 yearly fee?
During the April 16th meeting, Council member Austin Sandow spoke up supporting the idea of doing away with the annual charge for business or at least reducing it. After a long discussion the council finally decided to invite all business owners to the next council meeting to see if some sort of program can be worked out.
This was the first meeting of the City Council under the direction of the new mayor, Kent Kletscher who then welcomed a new council member, Jeff Stoner. The mayor then made the appointments for city committees, noting that he left the list just about the same as what it has been for the past year.
The council has one open seat and they decided to invite any city resident that might want to serve on the Council should write a letter to the city indicating their desire to serve, the letter is due at City Hall by Friday, May 17.
In other action the council elected Steve Lee as President of the Common council, designated the Tribune Press Reporter as the official newspaper, looked at several ideas for a new city logo, appointed Cedar Corporation as zoning administrator, approved a resolution to change the name of that portion of Syme Avenue from West Oak Street to County Highway G as Leising Avenue, approved the using of a debit card to pay for expenses for city business where there are no charge accounts.
Approved spending $3600 for the annual pump testing of the fire department’s three pumpers. One of which will be put up for sale after the new pumper is put into service later this spring. The fire chief noted that the pumper would sell better if the pump were in current certification.
Heard from Police Chief Joe Klatt that Mark Johansen has agreed to have his junk removed and the land cleaned up by August 31st. The chief also informed the Council that the city is having a problem with stray cats. He noted that he has picked up six cats and is taking them to a place where they find a home for them.
The Council approved a temporary Class B picnic license and a temporary operators license for the fire department’s UTV ride and fundraiser on May 4th. They also passed a resolution naming April 27th as Norman Hagen Day in Glenwood City.
Heard from City Clerk/Treasurer, Sharon Rosenow, that she has only one person who has shown an interested in being a life guard at the city pool this summer. She indicated that at lease six people are needed to staff the pool for the three months it is open during the summer. The council spent a few minutes discussing the pool operation and summer recreation and instructed the Public Works Department to do their annual pump down and cleaning of the pool.
