Downtown council asks how trash is paid for after vote for new compactor

The Downtown Leadership Council requested a report from the city describing how downtown residents pay for trash services at their Monday meeting.

John Clark, a member of the council, requested information on “exactly how solid waste is handled and how it is paid for by the downtown” residents. Clark said the information would help further the discussion on the recently approved purchase of space for a trash compactor.

“It’s become an issue with residential downtown,” Tootie Burns, also a member of the council, said while describing the use of dumpsters by downtown tenants.

On Monday, the Columbia City Council voted in support of purchasing property at 912 E. Walnut St. for use as a collection center for the city’s Solid Waste Division. Many say the dumpsters are routinely filled beyond capacity. The council’s action came with a $690,000 price tag.