BELLVILLE CITY COUNCIL TO HEAR REQUESTS TO OUTSOURCE CITY TRASH SERVICE

  

Bellville is considering contracting out part of its city sanitation services.

A motion to look for requests to outsource trash pick-up services passed unanimously at a recent Bellville city council meeting.  Councilmembers said that this would reduce city costs, but it could also bring the return of trash pick-up twice a week.

Over three years ago, the city heard requests of companies that were interested in taking over trash services, but worries from Bellville citizens brought talks to a halt.  The city instead reduced track pick-up to once a week, as councilmembers say Bellville loses money in its sanitation department.

According to Chief Financial Officer Cathy Ezell, Bellville would need to raise rates for customers by over 100 percent over the next five years, in order to adequately fund services as they are now.

It is undetermined how much the city would save by contracting these services now, but during original discussion three years ago, City Administrator Shawn Jackson cited the city could save up to $175,000 in the first year.