Garbage Pickup Rate Increased

West Tawakoni residents will pay 50 cents more for garbage pickup starting in November.

Tuesday night, the West Tawakoni City Council accepted a 3 percent rate increase requested by Waste Management Inc.

City Administrator Cloy Richards said the increase is the maximum allowed in the city’s contract with Waste Management.

Richards said the rate would go from the current $10.03 per month per household to $10.53, starting with the October service that is billed in November.

Also in the meeting, council members officially accepted the construction of the sewer project under the 2006 Texas Community Development Program.

Funded by a $250,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the project included rehabilitation and upgrading of seven sewer line lift stations on the city’s south side. A public hearing set for Wednesday at 10 a.m. at West Tawakoni City Hall will be the final step in the project.

West Tawakoni provided a required matching fund for the project, but was scheduled to receive a $10,000 grant from the Sabine River Authority (SRA) Thursday (Aug. 14) to offset about 40 percent of the out-of-pocket expense, Richards said.

In addition, the council approved the final draft of the fiscal year 2006-2007 year-end audit. That matter had been tabled from the July meeting awaiting a "no litigation" certification from city attorney Chuck Calkins.