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Pick-up service fees results of Levy Failure

(Special to the Independent News)

Allied Waste Service is prepared to pick-up leaves for Hazelwood residents by offering them a yard waste collection program for a rate $8.21 per month over a three-month period, Allied can collect grass clippings, leaves, branches, bushes and other yard waste for local citizens.

Vacuuming Program (in October) and its Spring Brush and Limb Pick-Up Program (in March) as part of $727,743 in budget cuts that have been made to reduce the City’s $1.42 million dollar deficit in half.

The city’s attempted to resolve its budget crisis by putting two tax referendum proposals on the August 5th ballot. Prop S passed with a favorable vote of 60 percent; however, Prop U failed with a favorable vote of 44 percent. Hazelwood needed both of them to pass in order to create an on-going revenue stream to help offset the budget deficit. Since only one was approved by local voters, the City Council made these deep budget cuts.

“During the campaign prior to August 5th, we warned residents that if one or both tax referendum proposals failed this would force deep and dangerous cuts to be made to the City’s vital services. There’s no way that millions in cuts can be made without damaging the quality of our municipal services. We’ve attempted to make these cuts as painless as possible,” Hazelwood City Manager Matthew Zimmerman said in a release.

Knowing the fall leaf vacuuming and spring brush/limb pick-up were on the budget cut list, City officials met with Allied representatives to explore some alternative solutions. The option they came up with keeps the current base rate the same at $16.02 per month for weekly trash hauling and recycling pick-ups. Seniors are still eligible for a 50% discount off the base rate at $8.01 per month.

Residents can add Allied’s yard waste program to their service for $8.21per month for a minimum of three months. They have the option of signing up for it now, so they can have their leaves and other yard waste picked up on a weekly basis in October, November and December. Each week they are limited to eight yard waste bags for curbside pick-up. For more information or to register for this program, call Allied’s customer hotline number at (636) 947-5959.

“This is a great way for residents to get rid of their yard waste because it offers them the flexibility of using this service over a three-month period or more throughout the year, or on an as needed basis,” Hazelwood Public Works Director and City Engineer David Stewart noted.

The city also had to cancel the annual Halloween party for kids and had to reduce hours at both city community centers, due to the budget cuts and the one failed tax levy.

The City Council is in the process of reviewing several options for a tax referendum proposal to be placed on next April’s municipal election ballot. If the proposition is approved there’s a good chance that many of the city services which were cut – such as the fall leaf vacuuming program and spring brush and limb collection – may be restored for next year, a city spokesman said.

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