1,354 signatures collected protesting Greenfield water bill/trash collection combination
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Greenfield residents presented the Greenfield council and administration with a petition saying they do not want the village to pursue efforts to combine trash collection with their waters bills.
Greenfield resident Bonnie Clyburn addressed council, as she and Becky Grove and Erica Kelly, presented a petition with 1,354 signatures.
Last month the group of citizens had begun collecting signatures and asked Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop how many they would need to collect in order for the initiative to stop. Bishop said at least 1,250 signatures were needed, because that number was equivalent to half the voters in Greenfield.
"Betty Bishop said we needed 1,250," Clyburn said. "We got 1,354."
The more than a dozen residents who were in attendance at the meeting broke into applause as the signatures were handed over to Bishop.
"You have enough signatures that, I'm sure, the council members are going to take a hard look at this," Bishop said. "They're not going to shove anything down your throat. You've got a good group of council members. They're going to search out for alternatives. If the community still doesn't want it, I'm sure they're going to make the decision you want them to make."
Council president Betty Jackman said that council thanked them for their efforts, because they had obviously worked hard, and their opinions would be taken under advisement.
"Thank you for voicing your opinion. That's what it's all about," Jackman said.
Council had previously said that they would not meet on the matter until September so that they would have time to gather more information, such as if Greenfield residents could save money if Greenfield contracted with a collection provider. The provider would be chosen through a bid process.
Jackman had previously said that they were investigating adding trash collection to waters bills in an attempt to eliminate properties that had large piles of trash. By adding it to water bills, she said that it would require people to have trash collection.
Greenfield resident Brenda Little, who had previously addressed council on the issue, said that she had spoken with some bankers in town who said that finding property owners was not that difficult, even if the properites had been foreclosed on and the loans sold multiple times. Jackman said that they would take any help they could on tracking down the owners, but that it was not a simple process.
"What you're saying is basically true, but it isn't wholly true. That is not as easy to do as the bank tells you," Jackman said. "(We) have tried. We went to different areas. We went to the county auditor, you know, who collects the taxes, and they sent us in all these other directions. When they're sold it's hard to find out who does own those properties. We've tried."
Greenfield residents presented the Greenfield council and administration with a petition Tuesday saying they do not want the village to pursue efforts to combine trash collection with their waters bills.
During council's regular meeting Tuesday, Greenfield resident Bonnie Clyburn addressed council, as she and Becky Grove and Erica Kelly, presented a petition with 1,354 signatures.
Last month the group of citizens had begun collecting signatures and asked Greenfield City Manager Betty Bishop how many they would need to collect in order for the initiative to stop. Bishop said at least 1,250 signatures were needed, because that number was equivalent to half the voters in Greenfield.
"Betty Bishop said we needed 1,250," Clyburn said. "We got 1,354."
The more than a dozen residents who were in attendance at the meeting broke into applause as the signatures were handed over to Bishop.
"You have enough signatures that, I'm sure, the council members are going to take a hard look at this," Bishop said. "They're not going to shove anything down your throat. You've got a good group of council members. They're going to search out for alternatives. If the community still doesn't want it, I'm sure they're going to make the decision you want them to make."
Council president Betty Jackman said that council thanked them for their efforts, because they had obviously worked hard, and their opinions would be taken under advisement.
"Thank you for voicing your opinion. That's what it's all about," Jackman said.
Council had previously said that they would not meet on the matter until September so that they would have time to gather more information, such as if Greenfield residents could save money if Greenfield contracted with a collection provider. The provider would be chosen through a bid process.
Jackman had previously said that they were investigating adding trash collection to waters bills in an attempt to eliminate properties that had large piles of trash. By adding it to water bills, she said that it would require people to have trash collection.
Greenfield resident Brenda Little, who had previously addressed council on the issue, said that she had spoken with some bankers in town who said that finding property owners was not that difficult, even if the properites had been foreclosed on and the loans sold multiple times. Jackman said that they would take any help they could on tracking down the owners, but that it was not a simple process.
"What you're saying is basically true, but it isn't wholly true. That is not as easy to do as the bank tells you," Jackman said. "(We) have tried. We went to different areas. We went to the county auditor, you know, who collects the taxes, and they sent us in all these other directions. When they're sold it's hard to find out who does own those properties. We've tried."
[[In-content Ad]]