The amount Crothersville residents pay for trash pickup and recycling could be increasing next year due to a new contract the Crothers-ville Town Council approved with Rumpke at their regular meeting on Oct. 7.
Rumpke increased its charges to $9.47 a month per household for 2015 & 2016, up from the current $9.12 per month for the past three years.
Currently Crothersville residents pay $9.50 per month on their water and sewer bill for trash collection and bi-weekly recycling pick-up.
“That 3¢ difference won’t be enough to pay for the twice yearly large trash pickup,” said council president Ardell Mitchell. “We will be looking at an increase in trash collection fees to residents sometime in 2015.”
Another thing that will increase in 2015 is wages paid to town employees. Town workers will be receiving a 50¢ an hour increase is pay on Jan. 1.
The office manager/first deputy will be paid $14.50 per hour; the second deputy will be paid $10.75 per hour.
The chief of police will be paid $17.25 per hour, senior patrolman $12.75 and patrolman $12.00 per hour.
The sewer superintendent will be paid $18.50; street/water superintendent will be paid $16.25 per hour. Skilled full time utility workers will receive $14 per hour and unskilled part-time utilities workers will be paid $7.50 beginning in 2015.
The council heard a progress report from Brad Bender of FPBH, the town’s engineering firm, on the Industrial Way road expansion.
“Earth work is to start Monday (Oct. 13),” Bender said concerning the roadway which will connect the town’s industrial park to South Kovener Street.
The road construction will add a much needed additional entrance and exit to the industrial park that currently can only be accessed over an unmarked railroad crossing west of US 31. Officials have for some time been concerned for safety and emergency vehicle access to the manufacturing plants in the event of a railroad accident.
The recently announced Aisin Chemical Indiana expansion prompted the road extension.
Town officials briefly discussed the naming of the expansion. It was agreed that the east-west portion of the roadway would continued to be called Industrial Way while the north-south portion would be a continuation of South Kovener Street.
In another update, clerk-treasurer Terry Richey told the council that she continues to obtain information to allow the town to accept credit & debit cards for utility payments.
“Some credit card services we have looked at would charge us a dollar or two per transaction, but govpay.net is zero cost to the town,” she said. “I really like that.”
She said the firm, which is used by Jackson County, would provide a card swipe reader and that the cost of the transaction would be added to the customer’s bill at the time of payment.
She said she is continuing to check on if govpay.net can accept electronic payments through the town’s website.
In a final matter, the council designated the local trick or treat night on Friday, Oct. 31, from 6-8 p.m.
