The El Dorado City Commission received an update on the trash cart pilot program during their meeting Monday evening.
The new carts were delivered to those in the pilot program last Thursday.
To look at one potential problem, city staff went around Monday morning to see how many carts were still left on the curb, a concern of the commission.
In all, nine were left on the curb, but six still had trash in them, which Brad Meyer, assistant public works director, said were probably put out after trash was picked up. Two of the others left out were at vacant houses, leaving only one to address.
To remind residents to take the carts off of the curb and back up to their house after trash is picked up, the city will place door hangers on residences where they are left out.
The city also has taken a look at the surveys they received back. Of the 729 sent out, 345 were returned, with mostly positive comments on the program. One question asked how supportive people were of the proposed program. Of those responding, 11 percent were not supportive, and 66 percent were either supportive or very supportive.
Meyer said they have even had residents come out and talk to them while they were out collecting trash.
One question the city has received is why the trash collectors are simply taking the bags out of the carts.
He said the truck that automatically dumps them is not here yet, so when it’s easier, they simply take the bags out rather than push the carts to the back of the truck where they are dumped.
The city should have the demonstration truck the last week in July to see how that works.
In other business, the commission:
• approved the Butler County Jail annexation.
• set a public hearing for the paving project at Prairie Land Estates 2nd Addition for 7 p.m. July 20.
The preliminary estimate is $446,018.28, with the final cost being $374,739.77. The improvement district portion will be $169,977.48, leaving $204,762.29 for the city-at-large.
• approved the city manager signing a lease/purchase agreement with Intrust Bank in a principal amount not to exceed $125,000 for a used track hoe and attachments. This will let the city do a lot of projects they have been putting off because currently they have to rent a track hoe. There is enough budgeted in next year’s budget for track hoe rentals to pay for the track hoe. Although it was approved for an amount not to exceed $125,000, they are looking at one for either $92,000 or $111,000.
El Dorado, Kan. —
