By Terry Schrimscher
SPRINGVILLE – The Springville City Council approved the addition of a police K-9 unit at the regular council meeting on August 16. A K-9 unit is comprised of a specially trained police dog and an officer trained to work with the canine.
“I want to bring back the K-9 unit in Springville,” said Police Chief Wayne Walton, who made the request in the work session prior to the meeting. “I need to protect the school, the citizens and our students. We need to keep as much drug free as we can.”
Walton estimates the cost of adding the specially trained dog to be around $4,000. The city will receive the dog free of charge from iK9, a specialty dog trainer in Anniston, Ala. The requested funds would be used to equip a police vehicle with a special cage for the dog.
“I have an officer on my staff who is a state certified canine instructor,” said Walton. “He will train the handler and the dog.”
Walton will work with a local veterinarian to provide health care for the dog.
The other major agenda item for the evening involved the approval of Waste Management for trash collection services within the city.
Waste Management is the current contractor for garbage service in Springville but the city reopened bids to other vendors in July after receiving numerous complaints about missed trash pickups that went on for several weeks.
“We had one bidder. It was The Wasteway Group, Inc., doing business as Waste Management,” said City Attorney James Hill.
Waste Management presented four options to consider. The city requested pricing for weekly trash collection, bi-weekly debris collection and four dump passes per year, per customer.
The price for the option with four dump passes was presented as $20.74 per month. Waste Management also presented an option with only two annual dump passes for $20.53 per month.
“We submitted to all vendors the opportunity to submit an alternate proposal to remove the recycling dumpster,” said Hill. “You’ll see that these proposals come in just under $17 a month on both of them. You’re looking at roughly a $3 and a half to $4 a month increase for having the recycling dumpster.”
Hill said the city is currently having the recycling dumpster emptied three times a week because people are not using it properly.
The new monthly rates are higher than the current collection rates. The new contracts allow Waste Management to use a mechanical arm instead of workers to pick up the trash cans but, according to Hill, there are clauses requiring the vendor to do whatever is required to provide whatever equipment is necessary to provide services. Hill said the city also included language specifying penalties for customer complaints and a termination clause.
The council approved the contract for waste disposal service without the recycling option pending the acceptance of the additional language suggested by Hill.
In other business, the council approved changes in a zoning ordinance related to accessory structures and fence heights.
The council also approved an amended central dispatch agreement and an amended housing for municipal inmates agreement. Both agreements with St. Clair County are reviewed and approved annually.
Christy Taylor spoke to the council on behalf of the Miss Historic Springville Pageant, which was held last month in conjunction with the Miss Trussville pageant. She introduced Miss Historic Springville, Emma Wright, and Outstanding Teen, Mary Elizabeth Madden.
The council approved the appointment of Charlene Harbison to the Beautification Board through November 2023.
The next meeting will be at 4 p.m. on September 7 due to the Labor Day holiday.