By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Chiefland City Commissioners Monday voted unanimously to accept more than $1 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus money, but they aren’t sure how they want to spend it.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was approved by the U.S. Congress to help local governments recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 following the shutdown of 2020.
Chiefland will receive $1,094,866. The city will receive half of the funding this year and a half next year. The money must be spent by Dec. 31, 2022.
One of the allowed uses of the money is water, sewer, and broadband projects. The city won’t have to justify any economic losses connected to COVID-19 to spend money in those categories.
The water, sewer, and broadband option was listed as the fourth choice in the contract with the federal government.
“The simplest way I see it is number four,” said Commissioner Rollin Hudson.
City Manager Laura Cain mentioned that there are portions of the city that remain unconnected to city sewer and a recent repair project on Park Ave. revealed pipes that were nearly a half-century old.
Mayor Chris Jones said more than one part of the city has aging water and sewer pipes.
The city also must start planning at some point for construction of a second sewer treatment plant and possibly a third water plant. The sewer plant is likely to be constructed to serve the north part of town. Most of the city’s growth is headed that way.
City Attorney Norm Fugate suggested commissioners pass a motion accepting the federal money and take time to think about how they want to spend it.
Renewing with Waste Pro
Commissioners instructed Fugate to make a final draft of the contract giving Waste Pro a three-year extension of its contract.
The first year of the contract calls for no rate increase. The second and third years give Waste Pro a 3 percent rate hike each year.
Waste Pro Divisional Manager Trip Lancaster said the company has cleaned up the problems with regard to failing to pick up garbage.
Hudson told Lancaster that residents have some relatively basic demands of the company.
“They want their stuff picked up and they don’t want it left,” Hudson said.
The latest complaints relate to garbage crews failing to pick up all the leaves and limbs alongside city streets.
Lancaster said most of those problems lie with customers who don’t want to bag up their leaves and twigs. He said they tried to educate customers about the need to bag up yard waste but not everyone cooperates.
“Frankly we’re spending 45 minutes on some of these piles,” he said.
Hudson also warned that Waste Pro can’t leave commercial dumpsters unemptied, especially at restaurants.
Lancaster reserved the right to increase prices if the Levy County Commission, for example, decided to require commercial haulers to once again pay to dump residential garbage at the landfill. He said Waste Pro lowered its rates by $3 when the county exempted commercial haulers from paying to dump residential garbage.
He said they also reserved the right to adjust rates if fuel prices were to go sky-high. He said the company hasn’t exercised its right to adjust its rates as fuel prices rose this year. Hudson thanked him for not adjusting its rates.
Saying Goodbye
Jones reflected on the fact that three community leaders have passed away in recent weeks.
He noted that County Commissioner Mike Joyner, Coaching Legend C. Doyle McCall, and more recently former Chiefland Mayor David Allen passed away.
All three were respected leaders and will be missed.
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City of Chiefland Regular Meeting August 23, 2021; Posted August 23, 2021
