Noel Picks Santitation Contractor

At its meeting on Tuesday night, the Noel City Council accepted a bid for sanitation services.

Republic Services bid $16 per month per cart and $3 per additional cart per household. Bernice Sanitation bid $10 per water meter and an additional $2 per cart if desired. The city council has the option to make carts mandatory.

Jennifer Fagan of Republic Services, upon hearing Bernice Sanitation's bid, asked if it included commercial customers as well. She said she called City Call and was told it was only residential and made her bid accordingly. Mayor Lewis Davis explained the contract would only be for residential customers but also gives the service the exclusive rights to commercial customers within the city limits.

Fagan said if she had known that, it would have affected her bid.

Wayne Crouse of Bernice Sanitation said he researched the city's past contracts and thus was aware that the contract would give the service the right to commercial customers.

Council members discussed tabling the discussion to allow the parties to rebid to be fair to Fagan; however, Crouse pointed out that was unfair to him because Fagan had seen his bid.

Alderman Peggy Vlaovich said she and her husband have property in Oklahoma and they like the service Bernice offers there.

Alderman Allie Peck said, "It's fairly important to me that we get all the people to have a receptacle so there's not all this trash on the ground."

Mayor Lewis Davis said, "You've also got to look at the senior citizens around town and how the rates are going to affect them."

Alderman William Rose, regarding the situation with the bids, said, "I can't see any way out of this conundrum, so I'm going to do what I think is best for the citizens of Noel."

Rose made a motion to accept the bid from Bernice Sanitation. The council approved the motion.

In other business, the council accepted Alderman Vivian Brooks' resignation from the City Council and appointed Lonnie Huckabey as west ward alderman. He was sworn in and took his place at the table.

Also Tuesday, the City Council passed a livable streets policy that states when the city builds new streets and sidewalks the builder will make them handicapped accessible.