DEARBORN, Mo. — With a few minor changes to the contract, the Dearborn Board of Aldermen unanimously voted to accept an agreement to standardize trash service for the city’s residents after more than a year of wrangling with the topic. Redgate Disposal, based out of Edgerton, Mo., takes over the city’s trash hauling services on Jan. 1, 2016. Citizens will now receive the $14.38 charge along with a yet to be determined administrative fee on their monthly water bill. The extra money collected allows the city to retain funds while collecting unpaid bills.
The vote occurred during the board’s regular meeting Monday, Sept. 14.
“I didn’t have much else to add. I’m just happy I can be here,” Terry Petersen, owner of Redgate, while addressing the board.
Previously, Dearborn residents were free to contract services with four businesses licensed to haul in the city.
Concerns over damage to streets and alleyways with multiple trucks coming in each week led to discussions of standardization in the summer of 2014. Eventually, the city requested bids, received three and chose Redgate for the services offered out of a local company. Commercial trash service was not addressed in this contract.
Deffenbaugh Industries of Shawnee, Kan. and All About Trash of Platte City were the other two bidders.
Dearborn residents will receive a letter in the coming months informing them of the change and allowing those not currently using Redgate time to work with current providers on ending their contract. Pickup day for trash will now be Tuesday with a request for containers to be put out in front of residences to avoid use of alleys, although special circumstances for alley pickup will be considered on a case-to-case basis.
“I’ll be happy to look at it,” said Petersen, who currently provides service to half or a little less of the citizens in Dearborn. “I’m typically a reasonable person.”
The initial contract with Redgate will be for three years.
In addition to base service of up to eight 30-gallon bags, Redgate will provide the twice annual city-wide cleanup days at no extra cost, along with pickup one bulky item per week free of charge. Residents must notify Redgate of bulky item pickup in case the regular truck cannot handle the size of some items.
“I’m not going to pick up a car,” Petersen joked.
The city believes this arrangement will save citizens money, although Redgate offered the highest base price of the three bidders. During discussion of standardization, no residents showed up at board meetings to publicly voice concern or opposition.
Redgate currently serves Smithville, Edgerton, Lawson, Platte City, Kearney, Liberty, Holt, Lathrop, Plattsburg, Gower, Dearborn, Camden Point, Faucett and south St. Joseph areas, according to the company’s Facebook page. Terry and Cheryl Petersen have operated Redgate for the past nine plus years while living in Edgerton.
In other business, aldermen discussed concerns with erosion along Bee Creek on the edge of Dean Park and advised legal counsel to draw up an ordinance designed to help with pet issues in the city.
The new ordinance would limit households to any combination of four dogs and/or cats. Officials have discussed various options to try and limit the feral cat population in town, including licensing fees to better track pets. The issue came up earlier this year, and initially, the city discussed various catch-and-release and euthanization programs.
Those were bypassed due to cost and man power associated with them.
Legal counsel looked up similar cat ordinances, and the board opted to stay simple with the initial request. They will review the proposal at the October meeting.
The erosion occurring along Bee Creek continues to encroach on Dean Park, and city officials have concerns on how to stop it. They will look at working with other government agencies to find funding for potentially adding larger rock to the area to help slow the problem.