Republic Services

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

A contained fire at the Republic Services transportation station at 2411 Farm to Market Road 963 northeast of Burnet High School on Monday, Feb. 12 may delay pick up service around the area.

Deputy chief John Miller of the Burnet Fire Department was on duty when the call came in about 5 p.m.

“They were piling refuse about 25-30 feet high against a wall when they noticed smoke coming from fire in a scoopful,” he said. “They tried their fire extinguisher to no avail and called us.

“It was a deep bedded fire in such a big pile that we kept going back through night to keep water on it. By 10 a.m. this morning it was wrapped up and the bay doors were open.”

City hits snag on new solid waste contract

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Meadowlakes City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 19, adopted a tax rate and budget and tackled a trash tote problem that challenges the pristine curbside appearance of the city.

Unanimous approval was given for the previously proposed tax rate of $0.315 (or 3.15 cents) per $100 property value. It is comprised of $0.1512 per $100 for the interest and sinking fund (I&S) and $0.1638 for maintenance and operation (M&O).

It will support a budget for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 of $3,920,055 in expenses in the general, utility and recreation funds and debt service.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Marble Falls City Council on Tuesday, June 20, approved a five-year extension of the solid waste and recycling contract with Republic Services that included good news for Marble Falls customers, especially those in the commercial category.

“Under the terms negotiated between the city and Republic, once per week residential service will continue at the same cost ($16.52 per month) for two years of this five-year agreement,” said Margie Cardenas, city finance director.. “Future price adjustments of three percent could be petitioned in the final three years of the contract with council approval.”

Recycling services will continue at the $3.30 per month cost, to include a 95-gallon bin pick up every other week, as opposed to the current 18-gallon, once-per-week pick up. Customers will be able to add a second container at no cost.

“Commercial trash pick up is the big news,” said Cardenas.

By Phil Reynolds
The Highlander
In a move Mayor Steve Jordan called “a long time coming,” Horseshoe Bay city council members on Tuesday, July 19 authorized City Manager Stan R. Farmer to negotiate a contract to build a $3.5 million expansion to the city’s wast water treatment plant. Engineering fees, equipment and materials will bring the total cost to $4.2 million, the council waste told.
At the same meeting, the council voted to switch the city’s trash pickup contractor from Progressive to Republic. Though Republic was the low bidder on the trash pickup contract, the cost will still rise slightly, the council heard.
The city had investigated expanding and improving the west water treatment plant as long ago as 2009, Community Services Director Jeffrey Koska said. At that time, the estimated total cost was $4 million, he said.