By Jef Rietsma
A popular residential service is returning to Vicksburg. Village council members last month approved funding a curbside junk pickup to be scheduled in September.
Village Manager Jim Mallery provided details during the council’s March 18 meeting. He said a $35,000 contract will be formalized with College Hunks Moving and Storage to provide the service.
He noted the pickup was previously held in the spring but due to limited availability by the company, the village had no choice but to work around College Hunks’ schedule.
“This service will provide residents with an opportunity to dispose of unwanted items and clutter in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner,” Mallery said. “College Hunks has a proven track record providing reliable and professional hauling service with Texas and Comstock townships. The fall cleaning pickup will not only enhance the cleanliness and aesthetics of the community, but also promote responsible waste-management practice.”
Mallery said longtime village residents might recall the curbside service eventually evolved into a drop-off event at the Little League complex by Sunset Elementary.
He said the fall collection will be assessed and a decision made afterward to determine the fate of the curbside service.
“It is a weighted cost that we’re estimating. Our plan right now is to evaluate the program this September to determine if it’s fiscally responsible for the village to continue (in) subsequent fiscal years,” he said.
Council member Gail Reisterer said she prefers the fall collection because it gives her time to sort through her garage during warm-weather months and stockpile items for the pickup.
Council member Carl Keller noted the service is popular but it still comes at a cost to the village’s general fund.
“We’re having to budget money for this; it isn’t free,” he said. “But it is a service that residents had gotten used to over the years and when it went away, I know it affected me, as well.”
Several other matters were presented during the meeting:
- Two part-time seasonal positions were approved. A total of $12,500 was allocated for the jobs. One is mowing village property, with a cap of 20 hours per week. The other is grounds and maintenance specifically focusing on weeding downtown properties, Oswalt and Clark parks and other village-owned properties. In addition, a six-month internship through WMU was approved for a 24-hours-a-week position focusing on event coordination. Council members approved a $9,000 allocation to fund the post.
- The council endorsed the purchase of 24 new picnic tables. Mallery said the tables will enhance the village’s parks and recreation system, as well as support downtown events. The tables are eight feet in length; two will comply with guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mallery said the tables are portable and constructed of expanded metal. Total cost is $25,400 and will come from the village’s Parks and Recreation budget. He said the tables will arrive by mid-May.
- The purchase of four radar speed signs was approved. The solar-powered signs display speed of an approaching vehicle and serve as a reminder to slow down entering the village limits. Cost for the four signs is $12,000 total. Mallery said they will be placed at the east and west ends of Highway Street, East V Avenue and Richardson Street. They will be installed this summer.
- Fees and rental rates will increase starting July 1. Mallery said the current fee schedule has not been revised since January 2020. He said site-plan review is the most common service that will be affected by the increase. The move also means pavilion rentals will increase to $300, a $100 increase, with a $100 refund issued if garbage is taken care of and the pavilion area is left in order.
