If you want to raise the hair on the backs of council member's necks then just say two words: "Waste Management."
During Tuesday morning's meeting, city council members showed their dissatisfaction over the job Waste Management personnel are doing for the citizens of Meridian. More than one of the members of the panel spoke of problems they've seen, including sloppy work and inconsistent pickup routes.
"They just don't seem to give a damn," said Ward 1 Councilman George Thomas, clearly disgusted with the service he's seen. "Maybe if we quit paying them they'd wake up!"
What suddenly raised the ire of the council members was an order on the agenda to authorize Waste Management to remove and dispose of contaminated soil generated from a manhole overflow at the Certain Teed facility located at the South Industrial Park. The cost to dispose of the waste at the Chemical Waste Management Facility in Emelle, Ala., would cost $9,000. But given the mood of the council members it was a real possibility the order would not be approved.
"I would love to see some sort of consistency in how they do their jobs," said Ward 5 Councilman John Harris.
"I've been taking pictures of all the trouble spots in my area," added Council President Mary Perry of Ward 2.
Attempting to calm down the sudden outpouring of Waste Management bashing, Mayor John Robert Smith said he was going to meet with the regional representative from Waste Management and the city official whose job it is to oversee their work to try and rectify the problems loudly voiced by the council members.
"We have someone on staff whose job it is to monitor their work and we will make sure they are aware of our concerns," said Smith.
And the order to allow Waste Management to dispose of the hazardous material? It was approved with the only dissenting vote coming from Thomas.
In other business, council members unanimously approved an order to permit the use of Meridian Parks and Recreation Frank Cochran Center to be a Red Cross Shelter.
The council also authorized raises to city employees, police and firefighters as stated in the FY 2009 budget. Those raises represent a 2 1/2 year commitment of a 5 percent raise for police officers as well as 5 percent for firefighters. City employees will receive a 3 percent raise.
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‘That's just garbage!’
Council members riled at Waste Management
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City cuts payment to Watkins
The Meridian City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to cut their monthly payment to David Watkins, project developer of Meridian's new police station, by $9,999 until work resumes on the project.
The order, made during the Meridian City Council meeting Tuesday morning, included a mutual agreement between the councilmen and Watkins to reduce the project developer's monthly consultant fee of $10,000 to $1, effective Tuesday. -
Crews work on gasoline pipeline
If you hear a loud, booming sound early today, between 4 a.m.-10 a.m., there is no cause for alarm.
Workers with Plantation Pipeline will be performing maintenance work on their 30-foot gasoline pipeline in the Meridian area to accommodate the widening of Highway 493. The location of the work activity will be at Highway 493 North and Oak Hill Baptist Church, just inside the city limits. -
Team Spirit
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High Honor
The flowers and balloons Crestwood Elementary School Principal Kimberly Kendrick received at school Monday were not an early Valentines' Day gift.
Kendrick has been named Meridian Public School District's 2012 Administrator of the Year – an announcement that both surprised and wowed the 17-year veteran educator when made by MPSD Superintendent Dr. Alvin Taylor. -
Master Dance Class
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Digital system promises better communication
Hopefully in the near future you won't hear someone in the emergency services ask over the radio, "Can you hear me now?"
A digital communications system, one which is being pushed by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), is a few months away and, in some cases, is already in the testing phase in Lauderdale County. -
Inmate escapes custody
Mississippi Department of Corrections officials said Monday afternoon an inmate escaped from custody Friday and is still being sought.
Officials said Johnny Hall Jr. escaped from two Wilkinson County Correctional Facility officers’ custody while being escorted from his father’s wake at the Picayune Funeral Home in Picayune. Preliminary information indicates Hall left the officers and jumped into a waiting black vehicle with a white female driver. -
Citizen’s Police Academy begins today
The work law enforcement conducts on a daily basis is often misunderstood by the general public.
Officials at the Meridian Police Department developed a program to inform and educate citizens on what police do in serving and protecting the population. The program, The Citizen's Police Academy, has been gaining speed for a couple of years since it was first offered. Officials said it shows residents are interested in police work and how it is conducted. - Woman: decongestant brought meth charge in Alabama
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Star Of The Week: Dominique Goodwin-Jenkins
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