November 23, 2019

Mallory Herrmann
citydesk@lstribune.net

The city council voted this week to approve a grant agreement with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) Solid Waste Management District. The grant funding will provide just over $42,000 to purchase recycling roll-off containers for use at the south recycling center, located on Hamblen Road.

Dena Mezger, director of public works, said that the timeline of reopening the recycling center will depend on how quickly they can receive the containers, which may not be in stock. Fabrication of new containers is expected to take four to six weeks, and she hopes they will be ready to open in February.

KC Dumpster Company, who runs the public disposal area on behalf of the city, has agreed to provide on-site staff. This means that the city will not be responsible for staffing the drop-off part-time, as expected, creating an annual savings of $17,000 for the city’s general fund.

Glass recycling is also in the works, pending the city’s finalization of an agreement with Ripple Glass to administer the program.

The recycling center will accept #1 and # plastics, cardboard and paperboard, tin and aluminum cans, newspaper, office paper and junk mail.

The recycling center will have the same hours as the resource recovery park on Hamblen Road near 291 and 50 Highways, which is open Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and on Saturdays between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Approval of the agreement with MARC was passed with a unanimous vote from the council. Councilmembers Trish Carlyle, Fred DeMoro and Phyllis Edson were absent from the Nov. 19 session.