DeKalb garbage pick-up reduced to once weekly
During its monthly meeting held last Tuesday, The DeKalb Board of Aldermen and Mayor Clark Adams expressed their disappointment with the Kemper County Board of Supervisor’s decision to cut back garbage pick-up from twice a week in the town to once a week beginning on Feb. 1.
The county has been picking up the town’s garbage since an agreement was struck in March of 1998 that apparently stipulated that DeKalb would receive garbage pick-up twice a week and in exchange would collect the money for the county, although no document has yet been uncovered with those specifics notated.
The $8 fee is attached to the town residents’ water bill, which virtually assures collection.
DeKalb Mayor Clark Adams had been notified by mail that the county was making the change beginning in February. “I don’t think that’s what we agreed to,” Alderman Keith Barnes said.
The board didn’t take any action, but Mayor Clark Adams said the board would discuss whether or not to continue to collect the money on the water bills during next month’s meeting.
“I’m not saying what we are going to do, but we are going to consider it,” he said.
It was noted that the town usually sent the county a check for $4,000 in collected fees. It was also noted that if the $8 fee was removed from the water bills it would drop the minimum payment down to $26.50.
The citizens of DeKalb were the only residents in Kemper County receiving garbage pick-up more than once a week. The move by the supervisors now has all households receiving once-a-week service.