SPRINGFIELD — Numerous residents expressed discontent with trash services within the city Monday, prompting city commissioners to consider taking over garbage service from a contractor.
One resident said yard debris had been piled up at his house for more than five weeks, while another blamed trash haulers’ neglect of mattresses and thrown-out furniture for hurting property values within the city.
“We all pay for this, and all we’re getting out of it is devalued property,” said Terry Malamphy, resident.
The city contracts with a single hauler, Waste Management, for trash services. Mayor Ralph Hammond said the city has daily communications with the company, however, a combination of factors have intensified the city’s trash woes.
“We’ve got rentals in Springfield dumping out whole homes out by the road,” he said. “We need to talk about the city going back into the trash business.”
The subject will be rolled into a series of workshops commissioners scheduled. In three upcoming workshops — first on Thursday — the commission will be discussing a first-ever property tax, cutting their own salaries and possibly taking on trash pick-up services.
The city’s budgets concerns mean city departments, including police, are operating at far below regular levels.
“We’ve cut as far as we can cut and that’s why we’re talking about starting a tax,” he said. “We’re not looking at going out and stripping our citizens. We just want to keep our city going and we could be a thriving community …
“We’ve just never asked the citizens to put into the pot and that’s what we’re asking now,” Hammond added.
Commissioners will convene Thursday at noon in City Hall, 3529 E. Third St., for their first workshop to discuss a property tax.
Also Monday, commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance allowing police and fire officials to not respond to addresses with repeated false alarms.
Police and/or Springfield Fire Department respond to 425 false alarms from alarm systems in businesses, schools and residences each year, according to police. Of that number, about four are legitimate. Springfield Police Chief Philip Thorne requested commissioners consider penalizing property owners who repeatedly report false alarms requiring responses from emergency services.
“Panama City has had this same law on their books since 1992 and never had to use the no-dispatch designation,” Thorne said.
Up to six calls would be fined $50, up to nine calls would be fined $100 and at 10 calls a “no-dispatch” classification would be put in place. Hammond said the law would decrease false alarms and reduce the amount of time, man-power and wear on city vehicles.
“We don’t have emergency vehicles responding, which can be a hazard to safety,” Hammond said. “It makes the folks who are continuously doing it, fix it; or else we don’t respond.”