Facing 700 Petitioners in Opposition, City Council Forges Ahead with Contract with Republic Services

The San Angelo City Council voted 4-2 to approve the ordinance that hikes trash collection and landfill fees at the Tuesday morning regularly scheduled meeting.

This was the second reading of the ordinance that is a prerequisite for adopting the new 10-year contract with Republic Services. Council rules require new ordinances to be read, and voted upon twice before adopting. Today’s action seals the contract with Republic.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff requested that the consent agenda item number eight, related to “Utility Related Fees” be pulled for reconsideration. At the last meeting of the Council, the fees were approved by a majority. Morrison recalled a 7-0 majority.

Opponents of the new contract with Republic forged a strategy to reverse the Republic deal by petitioning the Council to not approve the second reading of the prerequisite ordinance rates.

Grindstaff said that her decision to pull the item for a second vote was based upon her concerns that the new Republic contract was the only leverage that the City has to force Republic to rectify the alleged overcharges of some 2000 commercial dumpster customers over the past 10 years. There is a lawsuit filed by two local businesses that hope to upgrade it to a class action matter.

Former Councilman Paul Alexander presented the council with a petition from change.org. The petition attracted over 700 signatures requesting that the process to award Republic the new contract be scrapped. Mayor Dwain Morrison said that was not an option because the current trash contract ends in two weeks, Councilwoman Farmer said that the petitioners should have been active sooner, as in a year sooner, if they wanted input. She did express that she respects their efforts.

In the end, the vote was similar to last meeting’s decision. Councilwoman Charlotte Farmer, Councilmen Marty Self, Johnny Silvas, and Mayor Dwain Morrison voted to approve the rates, and move forward with the new 10-year contract with Republic.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Grindstaff and Councilman Don Vardeman voted against the rate hikes hoping to slow the Republic deal.

Councilman Rodney Fleming announced earlier that he would be absent tending to civilian matters.