Stuart Town Council discussed establishing a town policy for refuse and trash pick-up at its May 18 meeting.
Town Manager Bryce Simmons said discussions regarding the policy were put on hold because Rural Services, a garbage collection service in Claudville, expressed interest in providing trash pick-up services for the town. The council has yet to hear back from Rural Services regarding this matter.
“I still want to move forward with a town policy on trash pick-up. I would like to move to a front of the house, you need to be able to see it to pick it up” policy, he said.
Simmons said this is because he is not sure who is going to be on the trash truck on any given day.
Mayor Ray Weiland said waste bins will not be permanently located at the front of homes, but would be moved there for refuse pick-up. The town currently has a back-door policy which allows garbage to be picked up from almost anywhere on the property.
“The biggest thing that we ran into was the folks that have it in the garage, and then the guys have to get into the garage to get the garbage out of there. That’s not a good situation,” he said.
In other matters, the council:
*Approved the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, which is totaled at $1,880,400.
Simmons said administrative expenses, which includes salaries and wages, payroll taxes, and group health insurance, is the biggest expense at $522,311. Debt retirement for the current Rural Development loans the town is the second, at $280,000. Materials and supplies for all water, wastewater, sanitation, and other needs to provide services is next at $155,000.
“General professional services, which includes engineering design, planning documents, legal and financial services, plus all matching funds for grants that the town may apply for in the net year” is $101,250, he said.
Waste disposal, which includes tipping fees paid to the county and the hauling of sludge from the Waste Treatment Plant, costs $100,000.
Simmons said water & sewer revenues from monthly billing the town performs is the top revenue source, and brings in around $693,000.
Revenue from the “meals tax, for all prepared food within town limits” is $375,000, and “property taxes, at a rate of 17.6 cents per $100 of assessed value” is $252,000, he said.
Other major revenue categories include garbage fees for residential and commercial customers, which is about $176,000, and franchise fees, which are primarily paid by the bands in town and are based on the amount of capital held at that bank, was estimated at $130,000.
In other matters, the council:
*Approved the meeting minutes as amended.
*Discussed the Downtown Revitalization Planning Project in partnership with the county and the West Piedmont Planning District Commission. Simmons said based off the interview scoring it appears that Hill Studio is the apparent selection.
“We have set a tentative schedule of having this planning document done by the end of the year, and anticipating that we will request an implementation grant or funding for this project. That application would be due at the beginning of next year,” he said.
*Discussed the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission’s approval of $7,500 in grant funds for the Town’s Star Theater Economic and Market Feasibility Study.
*Heard an update about the wastewater treatment plant.
*Heard about past and future public works projects.
*Paid the bills.
*Discussed goat-scaping.
Town Attorney Christopher Corbett did not attend the meeting.
