Council Discusses Waste Options
By Jessica Wald
The Napoleon City Council talked trash during the regular meeting last Tuesday, September 5. Mayor Todd Moos said the new garbage truck has arrived, but not in use yet as it has to be registered and insured. Council members Rod Kleppe, Bob Humann, Arron Marquart, Clark Haas and Jon Wald attended the meeting, while Rich Bjerklie was absent.
The council said they may try to get trash pick up days down to one day a week, but this would force businesses to get larger garbage bins. Moos also showed the council a 95-gallon residential garbage bin, in which the new truck could tip, instead of the city employees having to pick up garbage receptacles and dump inside the truck. The bins are about $85 each, but the council can decide later if they would like residents to have the bins.
Moos also mentioned the old truck could use new tires, then be cleaned up and they should try to sell it.
As for the new trucks insurance, Moos said it will be about $4,000/year, compared to the current truck’s rate of under $1,000/year.
In other business city engineer Jerod Klabunde with Moore Engineering discussed his report on the current and upcoming projects. He said they received two bids at the August 9 bid opening for water system improvements. He noted it is a bad time of year to hold a bid opening, but the two bids they did receive were good. “We were surprised and happy,” he said.
The low bid was within budget and they took the bid to the DWR funding meeting August 10. 60% will be paid by DWR, but Klabunde said since the USDA RD funding of 40% is pending, he strongly suggests to table the bid for another meeting. He said they have 60 days to hold the bid. The council took his suggestion and no action was taken on the bid at this time. Klabunde said it’s getting late in the year and the project wouldn’t start until next year anyway.
He also presented a few payments that needed to be made for the projects, along with noting the continuation of the sewer project, as the special assessment process is underway.
The council agreed to re-submit an application for a grant for a. .