Fairmont commissioners meet, consider waste management bid

FAIRMONT — The Board of Commissioners made headway Tuesday on waste services.

Awards

After an invocation, Mayor Charles Kemp began the meeting by recognizing three individuals for their efforts in organizing and running Fairmont’s senior bingo nights.

The recognized individuals are Linda Bethea, Phelecia Lewis and Pam Smith. Each was given a certificate of recognition.

Public comments

One person chose to participate in the public comments section of the meeting, Henry Biernacki. Citizens are entitled to five minutes to speak to the board, where the board members are not allowed to reply or interject.

Mr. Biernacki first praised the town manager, Jerome Chestnut, for his passion and work ethic. He suggested that the town consider forming long-lasting contracts with crucial staff members such as Chestnut and Town Clerk Jennifer Larson, stating that it would show them the commitment they have shown to the town.

Mr. Biernacki then mentioned the low-income housing the town has been planning and requested clarification and transparency on that process.

He then offered his services to the town free of charge, stating that he would be willing to repair unused buildings on town property.

Waste Management

One of the eight companies that submitted a bid for the new waste management company met the deadline of 2:00 p.m. July 15. The company that submitted a bid was Waste Management, with which Fairmont has an existing contract.

Chestnut chose to leave the bid package unopened, as the contents could not be negotiated afterward. The board chose to leave the package closed and negotiate directly with Waste Management.

StRAP

The town of Fairmont was one of 15 towns to receive a grant from the Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Project (StRAP) to remove debris and sediment from local waterways. The town received $250,000 to remove debris and $150,000 to remove sediment.

Removing the sand will allow for more water to flow through the canal without flooding becoming a risk. Mayor Kemp said that due to the projected extreme hurricane season, he plans to try to have the sediment removal done sooner rather than later, hoping to be ahead of the weather.

Regional Waste Water Amendment

Town Manager Chestnut requested that a new meeting be scheduled to discuss the amendments to the regional wastewater agreements. He stated that there was a lot to go over and that it was worth a meeting.

The board decided that a meeting would be scheduled after Chestnut and that the interested board members would return from a July 24 regional group meeting.

Closed Session

The board moved into a closed session for a period to discuss personnel matters. Upon return to the public session, they recreated the vote, deciding to leave the town

manager’s travel allowance and town vehicle access the same.

The next board meeting is scheduled for August 20.