By Terry Schrimscher, For the Tribune
CENTER POINT – Like many cities in the Birmingham area, the city of Center Point has been struggling with debris pick-up services due to outside vendors ending the option. At the March 2 meeting, members of the City Council fielded complaints from citizens about fees for debris removal and comments about trash dumping around the city.
“I just found out recently about the debris pick up for $50,” said Tracy Stewart Sr., a 19-year resident of the city of Center Point. “I’m disabled. Fifty dollars might seem like not a lot of money to some people, but that’s a little something for me.”
Stewart said he has driven around the city near his home and he sees yards filled with box springs, mattresses and other types of debris. He said people are beginning to dump stuff illegally rather than pay the fee for the city to haul it away.
“What I do, I load the stuff up on my truck and take it out to the landfill. That’s cheaper for me to do that,” Stewart said. “I don’t know what the issue is with us being able to get stuff picked up, but the $50 ain’t going to do it.”
Waste Management ceased debris services in the city May 1 of last year. Center Point was able to temporarily fund debris pick-up using grant funding but began charging a $50 optional fee in October.
“We’re now picking up the debris because Waste Management decided they were going to stop,” said Mayor Bobby Scott. “It’s an expensive task. When Waste Management dropped it, we had one truck. It was not our job to pick up debris.”
Scott said the city determined it would cost approximately $600,000 per year to run a debris pick-up program.
“So we, at that point, tried to do an ad valorem tax,” he said. “That failed. So our next step was to try to offer something.”
Scott estimated the cost per household for the ad valorem tax would be $7 per month.
“You’re not obligated to pay the city to pick-up debris. You can have anybody you want come through and grab that debris,” Scott said. “We came up with the $50 as a way to recoup some of our funding.”
Scott said the city has had many calls from citizens wanting to use the debris service. He added the city is increasing efforts to enforce city codes requiring yards to be kept free of debris.
In other business, the Council reviewed a report on the 2021 audit report from the firm of Banks, Finley & White. The Council voted to accept the audit as presented.
Tremayne Thompson spoke via Zoom with a proposal for the Perfect Note gospel music festival on September 24. The Council is reviewing the proposal and did not take further action at this time.
A live-streamed recording of this meeting can be seen here.
The Center Point City Council meets on the first and third Thursdays of the month at City Hall at 2209 Center Point Parkway.