Barbara Wagner nominated Stackfleth for mayor, which was seconded by Engstrom, and unanimously approved by the rest of the council. Wagner also nominated Engstrom for mayor pro-tem, which was also unanimously approved.
The Mount Shasta City Council had their hands full on Monday night, as they counted ballots, heard from concerned citizens and discussed what to do with recently revised solid waste fees. The council also selected John Stackfleth to serve as the city’s mayor in 2020 and decided Paul Engstrom would be mayor pro-tem.
Barbara Wagner nominated Stackfleth for mayor, which was seconded by Engstrom, and unanimously approved by the rest of the council. Wagner also nominated Engstrom for mayor pro-tem, which was also unanimously approved. Stackfleth thanked his fellow councilmembers for the honor.
Solid waste services
There has been an ongoing debate amongst citizens regarding the recently adjusted solid waste hauling rates. The fees, which were recently announced in a letter from the city, are part of a newly formed franchise agreement with Summit Disposal, Inc., which is a business offshoot of Burney Disposal.
According to a report by Mount Shasta’s Finance Director Muriel Howarth Terrell, Summit Disposal has been collecting cost data since April regarding the number of residential, commercial and multi-family cans, tipping fees, can size, recycling costs, and more. Rates also were affected due to inflation, material handling, compliance with state and federal mandates, operational fees and ongoing changes to state mandates that require recycling and other green services.
This three colored can system has been state mandated as of 2016, Howarth Terrell said. Summit will help Mount Shasta meet other state mandates and will help with education and establishment of necessary, and constantly changing requirements.
Summit Disposal, Inc. will provide and maintain residential, multi-family and commercial customers with three new cans by 2022. The first will come in January for trash; the second in 2021 for recycling; and eventually a third can for green waste/organic matter.
The city, Summit Disposal, Inc., and Siskiyou Opportunity Center will continue to partner for processing of recyclables and collection of downtown city cans.
Several members of the public spoke out against the new contract, with the majority feeling that the agreement was “excessive and flawed” and also rushed. They said information was released within the last few months and it should have been done in April.
The Proposition 218 process was followed giving residents 45 days to submit their protest votes against the new rates.
Of the 1,721 garbage accounts, there were 172 total votes against, which were required to be submitted in writing. This did not meet the required number to count as a “majority protest,” which required half of the accounts in votes, plus one, Deputy City Clerk Kathryn Joyce explained.
Citizens were angered that the city was receiving a four percent fee as part of the agreement, but they were assured by the council that those fees will be set aside for a Solid Waste Improvement Fund, which would continually work to address infrastructure changes involved in waste management.
Wagner noted that the city itself is “very high in green/organic waste,” and suggested that the three cans may not be necessary for disposal if there is another way to take care of the waste. “The fees can go to alternate methods,” she suggested.
Stackfleth noted that “the city is a governmental body that has to be consistent with state law,” including solid waste and recycling mandates.
Councilor John Redmond moved to approve the revised solid waste rates, with a second by council member Jeffrey Collings. The vote was approved by a finalized by a 4-1. Although Redmond made the motion, he cast the sole “nay” vote.
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