LINCOLN -- The city of Lincoln will be using the Cherokee Nation landfill to take their trash pickups rather than the landfill at Tontitown.
In order to do this, the council had to pass a special order ordinance to waive competitive bidding for waste disposal services at the June 14 Lincoln City Council meeting.
Chuck Wood, city business manager, told aldermen the city could expect to save about 55 percent of its current costs when using Waste Management's Tontitown landfill. "This would be a big savings," he said.
Mayor Rob Hulse said the savings would give the city a chance to update its garbage trucks and equipment.
A move was made by the council for city attorney Steve Parker to read the ordinance by title only, which he did. Rules were suspended for second and third readings, all were approved and the ordinance adopted by the council.
Alderman Bob McDonald asked how long it might be before the city could buy a new truck for picking up and hauling trash to the Cherokee Nation landfill.
Wood said the city had two options -- use money from the capital fund or get a bank loan and pay it out in five years.
"We're just looking at the most economic way right now to dispose of trash," Hulse said.
"How soon will we start using the other landfill?" McDonald said.
"This week or next week," Wood told him.
The council then moved on to approve a change order with APAC to lay asphalt on the north side of County Avenue due to damage to the chip and seal on the street being severely damaged due to buses and school traffic and heavy rains. The cost to fix the street would be $31,000. The council approved an emergency clause to move the resolution along.
Again, McDonald, wanted to know how soon the work would be done. Wood said next week asphalt could be put down.
Police Chief Russell Morphis addressed the mayor and council, thanking them for the new police department offices.
"We really appreciate the facility," Morphis said. "People we've brought in tell us how nice it looks and how up-to-date. We want you, the mayor and council, to know how much we appreciate you."
"It was long overdue," McDonald told Morphis. "We appreciate all that you do."
In other action, the council voted to adopt Bumble Bee City Park as the name for the new northside park. The city asked residents to name the park and the name receiving the most votes was Bumble Bee. Al Videtto, information director, for the city, said about 950 people cast votes for the name.
Jeff Hatley, public relations officer with Ozark Regional Transit, told the council the new 620 route that rolls through Lincoln has picked up and dropped off 30 riders from the Lincoln stops.
"We've had 164 riders overall on the route and that is a positive number for a new route," Hatley said.
Hulse said the city appreciates Ozark Transit routing buses to and from Lincoln.
In new business, Marilyn Miles, with Electronic Manufacturing Solutions, addressed the council. She explained the electronic manufacturing business to aldermen and told them the reason they were there was because they had run out of space where they were located in a former hardware store.
"We want to be part of this community," Miles said. "Our customers are diverse and covers many states. We have an excess of a million dollars in equipment and have run out of space. The reason we are coming to you is to see if you can help us. We're looking for 6,000 to 8,000 square feet for a new facility."
Miller said the place would have to be clean because of the nature of their business.
"We have 35 employees and 10 are from Lincoln," Miller said. "We would like to stay here."
Ideas were tossed around by the council but most didn't have the square footage the business needed.
Alderman Doyle Dixon asked if it might be better for the company to buy land and build what they want.
"It might be," Miller said.
No solution was found but members said they would thing about it and appreciated Miller coming to the council.
General News on 07/23/2014