Odessa's recycling costs explode

ODESSA – Odessa Public Works Director Rod Webster reported that the town’s coffers might soon be bankrupted by the rising costs of the recycling program provided to Odessa residents at the town’s expense. A fee is charged to the town each time a full bin is removed and replaced with an empty bin. Webster said that the average rate of bin replacement was about once a month until fairly recently, when it began averaging about twice a month. What really worried Webster, however, was the photo shown here, taken by town employee Jim Williams, showing a bin packed full and overflowing onto the ground. Webster knew that the bin was to have been emptied the preceding Friday. If so, it had been filled to overflowing within two days. There were questions from council members as to whether the bin had actually been replaced that Friday and astonishment that it could possibly have filled up that fast. The clerk’s office on Tuesday began making enquiries as to when the most recent replacement bin was brought to town. Calls to the recycling center in Davenport were awaiting return calls. Enquiries also went out to the garbage collection company regarding recycling bins for individual households and the costs involved for such an option.

The photo taken by Williams is disturbing on many levels. Whether or not the bin was filled within a couple of days, it is clear that people are abusing the spirit of the recycling program. Boxes are to be broken down (i.e. flattened), but many in the bin and on the ground were not. It also a major inconvenience to town employees or Lincoln County personnel to have to clear the ground around the bins. The council advises that, if the bins are full, notify the town clerk’s office and take your recycling back home or leave it in your vehicle. The bins are replaced as soon as the clerk’s office is notified that one or both are full. The council also discussed moving the bins to a location that will allow greater oversight by town officials.

In other business, council member Kelly Watkins, Landon Lobe and Vickie Iverson were present via Zoom, while Mayor Bill Crossley, Town Marshal Les Jimerson, Clerk Meri Jane Bohn and Rod Webster were present in the clerk’s office. Zoning Inspector Bill Knerr was also present via Zoom. The council approved the mayor’s suggestion to apply for a Community Development Block Grant for a Survey/Study of Well #3. Also approved was Resolution 2021-01 setting town fees for various services.

LocalTel representatives met with the mayor and clerk’s office personnel regarding computer services and upgrades needed to existing equipment. Upgrading PCs from Windows 7 to Windows 10 was recommended and had already been accomplished by Jimerson for the police computers. He volunteered to help the office staff with their upgrades.

DW Excavation has won the bid for the coming summer’s construction projects.

Jimerson’s police report included 10 traffic stops: 1 wrong-way travel on First Avenue, 3 equipment issues, 3 speeding, 2 incomplete stops and 1 stop of two trucks illegally using Dobson Road. There were two dog calls, one in which the owner was cited for a dog at large and the other call resulting in the animal not being found. There was one welfare check, two training sessions and one lockout resolved with the help of Councilman Landon Lobe.