| |
Town Manager Eyes Dumping Heavy Trash Day
(posted 9.14.09)
Speedway Town Manager Barbara Lawrence's opposition towards the fall heavy
trash dropoff took Solid Waste Commission President Ed Stresino by surprise.
Lawrence voiced her objections when Stresino presented the commission's
plans to the town council at its September 14 meeting.
Councilor Gary Raikes asked for Lawrence's recommendation. Lawrence gave
two reasons for her hesitation to give automatic approval as presented.
She said the town's current request for proposals for trash collection
includes heavy trash pickup, but the bids have not yet been received, so
the cost to include curbside heavy trash collection is unknown. She also
expressed concern about the street department's employees. "We've
been dishing them a lot lately." She said the street department has
been overworked with the long term control plan.
Council President Eileen Fisher suggested narrowing the hours to 11 am
to 2 pm instead of 9 am to 3 pm in hopes of attracting more volunteers.
Lawrence indicated that suggestions like that would be helpful for the
dropoff.
Raikes said it was not the $3,000 cost that concerned the council, but
the issue of wearing out the street department's manpower. The $3,000 includes
overtime for the street department. This was the first time in the three
year history of heavy trash day that the council expressed concern about
the street department. The council approved the plan 4-0, pending Lawrence's
review. Councilor Lu Hillmer was absent.
Lawrence told the council she would have a recommendation within a few
days.
Stresino spoke about adjustments to the plan from the spring dropoff. The
event will no longer accept tires because of the inability to collect fees
from everyone. "They dropped the tires and ran off."
Construction material will be banned this year. The commission is still
waiting to see if Indianapolis can offer toxic material dropoff because
of its budget problems.
After the meeting, Stresino commented that he was not expecting Lawrence's
decision to take the plan under advisement. "I thought we had to get
it approved so we could get it going." Heavy trash day is scheduled
for Oct 10.
Speedway Redevelopment Commission Executive Commissioner Scott Harris said
that the Main Street project is on a faster pace.
Harris will be discussing alley access during the construction phase with
Main Street business owners. Bids are expected to be advertised on September
25 and opened October 16. No construction activity will occur during the
race events. He said that eight of the 20 Main Street projects are working
on further site details.
Construction will begin at the B & O railroad track at Main Street
because that is the low point of the 72 inch sanitary sewer. Financing
for the project has not yet been determined.
Mike Koyak of American Structurepoint said there are no plans to correct
the drainage in the alley west of Main Street, noting that most alleys
have drainage problems. He said the design plan does not include helping
Main Street businesses provide temporary alley parking.
|
|