Sylva receives second bid for hauling trash

By Lynn Hotaling

Gregg Thomas, owner of Country Collections of Cullowhee, the company which currently provides commercial recycling for the town, told members of Sylva's town board that he could provide residential trash collection at a 43 percent savings.

The town's contract with Hendersonville-based GDS will expire at the end of this fiscal year. Though bids have not been formally requested, both GDS and Country Collections have submitted proposals for Sylva's consideration, said town administrator Tommy Thompson.

GDS, which currently charges Sylva $8,075 per month for residential trash pickup and blue bag recycling, proposed to provide the same services next year at the reduced rate of $7,425 per month; Country Collections' has bid $4,987 per month to provide the same services, Thompson said.

In a separate proposal, GDS submitted a plan to transfer the cost of commercial recycling from the town to the businesses. Should that plan be implemented, it would likely offset the difference in cost between the two bids, Thompson said.

Currently, the town pays Country Collections $3,740 per month to collect commercial recyclables within town limits under a contract that runs through 2003, Thompson said.

A recommendation from the town's trash committee is expected before the board's May 3 meeting.

In other business April 5:

- A bid opening for the N.C. 107 sewer project was delayed until Tuesday, April 17, because only two bids were received. State law requires three bids be submitted. The request for bids has been re-advertised, Thompson said, and bids can be opened April 17 regardless of the number received.

- Cleanup work on the half-acre parcel adjacent to Keener Cemetery the town acquired through condemnation has been completed. Expenses for the project totaled $5,880, said zoning administrator Jim Aust. It was suggested that the town offer the property for sale, but no decision was made Thursday. If the parcel is valued and sold for less than $10,000, Thompson said, the town can sell it without going through a bid process. An adjacent lot of similar size has been appraised at $6,000, Aust said.

Board member Maurice Moody suggested having the town's lot appraised as well; however, board member Audrey Tritt disagreed.

"I don't see any need to have it appraised if we can get $6,000 or $8,000 to cover our expenses," Tritt said. Board member Lynda Sossamon suggested listing the property for sale at $8,000.

- Town board members unanimously passed a resolution supporting the N.C. Clean Air Coalition's Clean Smokestacks Act, which asks the state's General Assembly to mandate an 80 percent reduction in emissions from coal-fired electric generating plants.

In a related matter, the board again postponed action on a request to endorse the Jackson County based Canary Coalition, a clean air advocacy group. Moody had requested director Avram Friedman to provide the board with a copy of the group's bylaws; that information has not been received.

"I had asked for a copy of the bylaws," Moody said Thursday. "Some environmental groups use extreme measures to get their point across. I think we need to be careful that environmental groups we endorse use completely legal means."

- Board members unanimously approved Mayor Brenda Oliver's plan to write U.S. Congressman Charles Taylor (R-Brevard), who represents Sylva and Jackson County, to secure approval for a free survey by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the Tuckaseigee River watershed.

Once the study is completed, Oliver said, associated funding would be available for stream-bank repairs and restoration and for greenways construction.

- Aust reported that progress on cleaning up the George Bryson property on Chipper Curve Road is moving more slowly than had been hoped. The first contractors' estimates received were too expensive and heir Gearldine Beechum of Riverdale, Ga., is seeking additional quotes.

- Though no final decision was reached April 5, town employees will take Good Friday, April 13, as a paid holiday.

Board members had indicated that town employees should give up their Easter holiday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was added several years ago. Though a mandatory holiday (King) was added, the total number of holidays was not increased and remains 10.

Town employees determined they would rather give up Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and worked that holiday in November 2000. Because the employees worked last Veterans Day, they will only receive nine paid holidays during this fiscal year unless Good Friday remains a holiday, said Mayor Oliver.

However, in future years, town offices will be open on Good Friday and closed on both MLK Jr. Day and Veterans Day, the mayor said.

Speaking for town employees during last week's board meeting, Thompson said the town staff prefers to work on MLK Jr. Day because of its proximity to the Christmas and New Year's holidays in order to have a holiday at Easter.

Board members vetoed that suggestion.

"The board just feels like its the right thing to do to take Martin Luther King Jr. Day off, and it's very important to honor veterans by taking Veterans Day off as well," said Mayor Oliver.

Back to Archive: 04/12/01.