Wapakoneta’s “back-up garbage truck is ready for the garbage truck” and the mayor said he won’t take any action until he knows what city officials want to do about refuse and recycling.
The on-going saga of outsourcing vs. keeping the department in-house is coming to a head as the aging equipment reaches its final days.
“Our back-up truck is gone,” Mayor Tom Stinebaugh announced at Monday’s city council meeting, noting the repairs amount to some $8,000 for a truck valued at $6,000.
“The trucks are breaking down on a daily basis,” Stinebaugh said. “So, we can do what’s best for the city and sub it out, or we can do what’s best for the residents and keep it in house.”
Councilors are no where near being ready to make a decision on the fate of the refuse department, despite two committee of the whole meetings where residents were invited to share their opinions on the question, and a city-wide survey asking the same.
“We’ve heard from a small minority of people, which tells me the vast majority have no opinion,” Stinebaugh said.
“This is obviously a big deal,” Councilor Terry Campbell said, noting he and fellow utility committee member Rod Metz talk about this issue...
For more on this and other stories, pick up a copy of The Wapakoneta Daily News.