Council still pondering Vidalia garbage pickup
posted Wednesday, January 9th, 2013 @ 1:58 pm

Garbage collection rates for both residential and commercial customers in Vidalia will go up if the town continues to operate the system.

However, alderman Maureen Saunders told the Vidalia Town Council Tuesday night that no decision has been made on whether to contract the service or continue as is.

Saunders and alderman Trian McCoy were appointed to a committee by Mayor Hyram Copeland last month to look into the matter.

"We're not sure what we will do," Saunders said.

She said rates will rise if the town continues to operate the system.

"I'm getting a lot of phone calls," she said, adding that many customers want to keep the present system.

"But I want to emphasize that no decision has been made on what to do," she said.

Copeland said Wednesday morning that the town is still reviewing commercial proposals, too.

"We losing about $269,000 annually in the sanitation department," Copeland said. He said the town presently spends about $800,000 annually for garbage collection.

Eight employees work in the sanitation department.

Resident rates are $15.50 per customer and commercial rates range from $26 to $130 per customer.

"Our commercial rates are too law," Copeland said.

He said garbage collection costs would be lower if the town contracted the service.

"No question if we contracted it out it would be cheaper," he said. "Customer rates could remain the same and we'd still pick up limbs and trash and have back door pickup for the disabled."

In other business, the council approved the Mardi Gras parade route for the Krewe of Vidal. The parade is slated for 2 p.m. Jan. 19. Parade lineup is at 1 p.m. at Vidalia Upper.

The parade route will be from Concordia Avenue to Louisiana to Carter Street to Vidalia High on Murray Drive. From there the route takes Concordia Avenue back to Vidalia Upper.

Carter Street will be blocked off from 1:45 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Thru traffic will be redirected by police.

Police cars stationed at the red light at Mobil station will direct traffic onto Logan Sewell. Eastbound traffic will be directed to take a right at the Mobil on Hwy. 84 onto Logan Sewell Drive (Hwy. 3180) then left onto Martin Luther King (Hwy. 131). Take a right on Carter Street to cross river to Natchez.

Police cars stationed at the foot of the bridge will direct westbound traffic to take a left from Carter Street onto Martin Luther King, then right onto Logan Sewell Drive to Carter Street, before turning left to head towards Ferriday.