DEARBORN, Mo. — Citizens should be receiving notice of standardized trash service for the City of Dearborn. In conjunction with approving the final agreement with Redgate Disposal at the Dearborn Board of Aldermen meeting earlier this month, officials also sent out a letter giving out specifics. The only major change came with pickup day being moved from Tuesday mornings to Friday mornings.
Citizens will be charged a base price of $14.38 per month along with a 50 cent administrative fee allowing the city to retain funds while collecting unpaid bills. The charges will be added to the water bill. Services will start Jan. 1, 2016, although that pickup will be moved to Saturday, Jan. 2 due to the holiday that week. Other than on weeks with holidays, trash will be due out to the curb — not alleys — by 7 a.m. on Friday mornings. A holiday schedule was planned to be included with the notification.
“That’s even better,” Dearborn mayor Jamie Morey joked. “Won’t have trash sitting around all weekend.”
All citizens will be required to make the change and pay for the service.
Previously, Dearborn residents were free to contract services with four businesses licensed to haul in the city. Concerns over damage to streets and alleyways with multiple trucks coming in each week led to discussions of standardization in the summer of 2014.
Eventually, the city requested bids, received three and chose Redgate for the services offered out of a local company. Commercial trash service was not addressed in this contract, but at the most recent meeting, city officials said they plan to ask businesses to also consider Redgate for dumpster services. Redgate owner Terry Petersen continues to be adamant about avoiding the use of alleys, while the plan also includes avoiding any residential dumpsters in town.
“It’s just like the English language,” Petersen said. “There might be an exception to the rule.”
Redgate, based out of Edgerton, Mo., won out on the contract over Deffenbaugh Industries of Shawnee, Kan. and All About Trash of Platte City.
Dearborn residents now must work with current providers on ending their contract by the end of the year. The initial contract with Redgate will be for three years.
In addition to base service of up to eight 30-gallon bags, Redgate will provide the twice annual city-wide cleanup days at no extra cost, along with pickup of one bulky item per week free of charge. Residents must notify Redgate of bulky item pickup in case the regular truck cannot handle the size of some items.
Construction material and green yard waste will not be accepted.
The city believes this arrangement will save citizens money, although Redgate offered the highest base price of the three bidders. During discussion of standardization, no residents showed up at board meetings to publicly voice concern or opposition.
City officials believed that the letter could prompt citizens to show up at the December meeting to discuss the change.
Redgate currently serves Smithville, Edgerton, Lawson, Platte City, Kearney, Liberty, Holt, Lathrop, Plattsburg, Gower, Dearborn, Camden Point, Faucett and south St. Joseph areas, according to the company’s Facebook page. Terry and Cheryl Petersen have operated Redgate for the past nine plus years while living in Edgerton.
In addition to the trash contract, Ward I alderman Louis Buntin furthered his desire to seek an adjustment to city code to allow Dearborn residents to house chickens on their properties — as long as they meet requirements. He proposes six chickens per househould in a covered pen with no roosters, and the housing put 50 feet from any adjacent property lines. All adjacent neighbors would also have to agree to allowing the chickens on property, according to the proposal.
Legal counsel plans to modify the current ordinance on animals to allow this exception, and the proposal would be discussed at the December meeting.