Goessel signs up for county?s single-stream recycling plan

The Goessel City Council approved during its June 20 meeting Marion County?s plan for single-stream recycling.

County commissioner Randy Dalke talked about the mandate for a reduction in trash at the landfill. He said Peabody uses curb-side single-stream recycling already and now has more in recycling than in trash.

Councilor Rollin Schmidt, who works for the county in the areas of solid waste and recycling, said, ?That?s the ideal.?

Dalke single-stream recycling is ?very easy.? Residents don?t have to separate or sort recyclables.

Schmidt added, ?When we make it simple, (recycling) will work.?

Marion County commissioners are starting a new program for single-stream recycling, which will begin with a six-month trial period. The goal is to place an 8-cubic-yard container in each community that participates.

The county will pay the $125 monthly cost for the first six months for cities in the county that collect at least an average of three tons of recyclables in all of those months. Cities that do not collect the minimum will pay the $125 per month fee themselves.

Councilor Dallas Boese said, ?If the county?s going to pay for six months, I think we should do it.?

Each city in the county will be responsible for deciding its hours of operation and will need to provide people to monitor the bins during the hours they are open to be sure that only recyclables are deposited and not other kinds of trash.

Schmidt said all No. 1 one to No. 7 plastics will be accepted.

Resident Louann Soukup asked, ?Does single stream take corrugated cardboard?? Dalke said yes.

Public works director Karen Dalke asked, ?What happens if other stuff gets thrown in there??

Schmidt answered, ?We will be disciplined by Waste Connections.?

City clerk Anita Goertzen said, ?We need to make the public aware.? She said Recycling would be like it has been, except that more plastic will be accepted.

According to Dalke, Peabody charges $2.50 per household for single-stream recycling, in addition to the county?s $81 fee.

Councilor Jim Wiens suggested having volunteers monitor the bin during the hours of operation.

Mayor Peggy Jay suggested, ?It needs to be once a week,? instead of only once a month.

Councilor Larry Schmidt agreed. Councilor Larry Linde?man suggested the bin needs to be open during evening hours for those people who get off work later.

Councilor Dallas Boese said the public needs to be educated about the new single stream recycling program.

Resident Tony Epp said recycling is ?a matter of conscience, not because it?s the law.?

Auditor?s report

On another matter, the councilors heard Stephen Connelly, the new city auditor, report the city?s valuation decreased slightly. He also said Goessel?s water rate is way below the state average.

Goertzen said that to raise the rate to the state average, the city would have to raise rates by 68 percent.

Jay said, ?We?re spending more on water than we?re getting in.?

Connelly also discussed the Main Street project with the council. He said some money could be transferred from one fund to another to help pay for it.

But he cautioned, ?We would have to be careful how it is denoted,? advising that certain strategies are permissible, but others are not.

Connelly commended Goertzen for her work: ?Anita did a great job getting information. The actual audit went very smoothly.?

The council extended Connelly?s contract for the next three years.

Main Street project

The council expressed hope of starting the Main Street project in late July or early August. Looking for ways to reduce the cost burden on property owners, Goert?zen had researched options for paying for the street.

?Everybody uses the street,? she said, and it would cost the city $1,900 to hold a special election for a sales tax for the project if the council chooses to use that means of helping to pay for street work. She also noted it would cost $20,000 to $30,000 to hire an engineer if the city uses a revolving fund.

Wiens reminded the council that 30 to 40 percent of the residents in town don?t pay property tax. Therefore, he suggested a special assessment to pay for Main Street.

Some time ago, the city had received a quote of $127,000 to fix Main Street, noting that the cost is likely to be higher now. Randy Dalke said it costs $30,000 per mile for a chip-seal surface, which is oil with rock on top of the oil.

Other business

In other business, the council:

? heard from Rollin Schmidt that some people had to be turned away on the hazardous waste disposal day because the bin was full.

In addition to the hazardous waste, Karen Dalke said four other Dumpsters were filled with trash from the city-wide clean-up day.

? heard that Dalke had distributed asphalt millings on the side streets. Boese said he had heard ?nothing but positive comments about that…. They want more.?

But Dalke said there is not enough money to ?put it on like it should be.?

? heard Police Chief Eric Reed report one warning had been issued and 10 contacts had been made. The department had worked six cases and arrested one person.

? heard that Dalke plans to attend a water class in Salina.

? heard that Goertzen plans to attend a South Central Kansas Tourism conference. It will focus on how to promote the community. Goertzen said she has some promotions on Facebook, giving away Frisbees and basketballs.

? heard Larry Schmidt? report the park needs more cleaning equipment for the bathrooms.

?I?ve been cleaning them every day,? he said.

? received compliments about the city?s new disc golf area. ?I?ve been told it?s the best around,? Dalke said.

? heard Dalke report the roof on the city shed needs to be replaced. ?It?s leaking in a lot of spots,? she said.

? discussed the possibility of replacing the carpet in the community room of the city building. Goertzen said the carpet has been in place since the building was built in 1999. Despite having it professionally cleaned twice a year, some spots do not come out.

? discussed the need for new flooring in the hall of the community building, noting that the tile in that area is cracking.

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