East Liverpool City Council’s Finance and Labor, Refuse and Recycling and Public Utilities/Franchise committees met Tuesday night to discuss multiple possible ordinances to forward onto council for approval including one for the purchase of two new garbage trucks, a claw truck and garbage fee increase.

The proposal presented by Safety Service director Bill Jones for the purchase of the trucks and rate increase was put on hold to give the committee members more time to discuss the matter before sending it to the council as a whole for consideration.

Jones said in his presentation that the purchases would enhance the efficiency, reliability and safety of the city’s waste collection and bulk item removal services.”

He also noted that the city’s current fleet of garbage trucks, aging which is resulting in increasing maintenance costs and disruption in service due to frequent breakdowns.

Jones said that the $927,000 combined price of the three trucks with the two-garbage trucks costing $654,000 and the claw truck costing $273,000, could be justified by the improved service reliability, cost efficiency, enhanced safety, bulk waste management and expansion of service which would increase revenue.

There are no grants available to cover the cost of the garbage trucks. Jones suggested an increase in monthly residential refuse fees of $4.60 per month per account, municipal equipment financing programs to spread the cost over time and to seek the Ohio Enivronmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grant which opens in October for the claw truck.

“This is the first-rate adjustment since 2016,” Jones said. “Over the past nine years, the department has absorbed significant cost increases, including fuel prices, personnel wages and benefits, landfill dumping fees maintenance and repair costs for aging equipment and overtime caused by equipment breakdown.”

Jones noted that despite the rising cost faced by the department, the department has continued to maintain service levels without passing any costs onto residents.

“This modest fee increase is necessary to ensure continued, reliable service and to invest in modern, efficient equipment.” Jones said.

The city currently has an active loan on the newest refuse truck with the final payment due in December. The first lease payment on the new trucks can be deferred for up to 12 months.

If the proposal goes before the council and is approved, it could take up to six months to receive the trucks once the order is confirmed. The trucks would not have to be sent out for bid since they are on the state purchasing list.

Legislation to be sent on to council to vote on at the Aug. 4 council meeting include authorizing the safety service director to enter into an agreement with Dallis Dawson and Associates for professional engineering design for the Col-Dresden Avenue Phase Two project, an agreement between the City of East Liverpool and Contract Land Staff, LLC for professional services for the shared use path/trail project in the city, a recommendation from the Planning Commission for unit development zoning classification which puts safeguards in place to allow the city to determine what type of housing or business can be constructed in the city.

City council will meet on Aug. 4 at 6 p.m., in council chambers at East Liverpool City Hall.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com