City: Trash rates go up; billing retroactive

PATTERSON — Residents can expect to see an increase on garbage rates within the next billing cycle.

Garbage rates are increasing by 33 cents, said Mayor Rodney Grogan. The city received its November invoice from Pelican Waste Management and it was backdated with an increase.

However, the city received a notice of increase from Pelican in December.

“Pelican increased their rates, and there’s nothing that we can do about it,” Grogan said. Rates will go from $15.77 per month to $16.10.

Berwick, Franklin and Baldwin are also affected by the increase.

Because the postdated rate was unfair, Grogan said, the city is going to absorb the cost for one month. And the city will make installment payments over the next 12 months to Pelican, paying back the difference.

Despite the increase, Grogan said the service has been good.

Grogan didn’t want to raise the garbage rates without first letting citizens know about the change. For some of our seniors, 33 cents makes a big difference with their budgets.

City Council members approved the provision of gas services to residents along Jones Drive, which is outside the city limits.

After the completion of the gas study and evaluating gas revenues, the staff sent mailings to communities wanting gas services for years, Grogan said.

The goal is to make gas accessible to those who want the services.

As a result of the mail out inquiries, five residents want services on Jones Street. With a loss of nine gas customers per year, providing services to those wanting, it was the next step.

The cost to run the gas line would cost $1,800, Grogan said. It doesn’t include labor.

For customers, the installation fee for gas will be $600 with a deposit of $175.

The decision to make gas accessible to those outside of the city limits seems profitable.

“We have been losing nine gas customers per year,” Grogan said. “We will pick up five within the next month.”

In other news, the Martin Luther King Jr. program will begin at 9:30 a.m. Monday at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church on Cherry Street. Eugene Foulcard is the speaker. The march will follow the program.