City clerk certifies wheeled trash bin petition
The Columbia City Council will have the first reading of two ordinances on Monday regarding the use of roll cart trash bins in the city.
On September 18, Mary Sapp, Spokesperson for the Solid Waste Advocacy Group, presented thousands of signatures on a petition from those who say they’re against the proposed roll cart system.
Sheela Amin, Columbia City Clerk, had 30 days to review the signatures and verify they were all from valid Columbia voters. The petition needed 2,567 signatures to bring the issue to council for a vote.
On October 15, Amin certified the petition with 3,486 signatures.
“We are very pleased to have confirmed that we had enough signatures on the petition,” Sapp said. “Although we are not surprised, because we felt we had enough.”
The council now has 30 days to either pass the proposed ordinance in the initiative petition or submit the ordinance to voters.
If council were to accept the petition, the city would prohibit the use of roll cart trash bins as well as prohibit the purchase or modification of trash collection vehicles designed to work with the roll cart pick up system.
“We would be binding future council’s hands to be able to spend any money on any kind of automated technology,” said Michael Trapp, Second Ward Councilman. “No matter what technological advances were to occur we could not spend one penny to improve worker safety or to manage the trash in a cheap and efficient system if that passed.”
Trapp thinks putting the issue on the either the upcoming March or April ballot would be the best option.
“I think it’s a fair way for an issue that is legitimately under dispute,” he said. “An election would certainly decide where the spring voters are.”
Sapp said the petition is more than just the opposition to roll cart trash bins.
“It is also to reenact current city trash ordinances,” she said. “This would prevent the city from discontinuing distribution of bag vouchers, changing the rates, or instituting a ‘pay as you throw’ system.”
City council must vote on this measure by November 2.
