New trash deal lowers rates, adds recycling
HAMMOND — Starting in January, city residents will pay less for solid waste pickup and will be able to participate in the city’s first-ever recycling program at a monthly rate below what it now costs them for garbage service alone.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Mayson Foster to accept a contract for solid waste disposal services with Parish Disposal Inc., of Franklinton, for twice-a-week pickup at a monthly rate of $8.25 per household.
In a companion resolution, the mayor was given the green light to accept a contract for weekly curbside recycling with the Recycling Foundation Inc. at a rate of $2.38 a month per household.
Homeowners will now pay a total of $10.63 monthly for both solid waste pickup and recycling services, which will be $1.95 per month less than the rate now being paid for solid waste pickup alone.
Waste Management has held the solid waste pickup contract for a number of years.
Parish Disposal will collect solid waste on the same schedules now in effect. Recycled items will be gathered in coordination with the regular solid waste collection dates but will take place once a week.
Steve Cheatham of the Recycling Foundation said residents will be given special containers for recyclable items. He said his company utilizes a “co-mingled recyclables plan” which allows homeowners to place all items in one container.
Cheatham said his firm will distribute literature about the recycling program along with the containers and that homeowners will be given instructions on what items will be accepted.
At the same meeting, the council put off action on a proposal to authorize the city to establish a special medical clinic for city employees.
Under the proposal, the city would pay the clinic $5.33 per employee. When city employees would use the clinic’s services they would pay an additional $15 fee which could be covered by their health insurance provider.
The council balked at giving its final approval for the clinic’s establishment when Councilman Willie Grant Jackson complained that the city’s finance director, personnel director and Insurance Advisory Committee should have been present at the meeting to voice their support or objections to the clinic.
