An 85 cent fee increase for solid waste pickup failed at Monday night’s Cape Girardeau City Council session.
Council members Trent Summers and Meg Davis voted against the measure. Their opposition was enough to fail the ordinance because two members - Mark Lanzotti and Loretta Schneider - were absent and council could not achieve a majority vote in favor.
According to Summers, he was uncomfortable voting on the rate increase because city staff provided him with the details of the rate hike only two or three days earlier.
“We had a retreat that we had to discuss a number of budget items,” Summers said. “That wasn’t included and I was just uncomfortable moving forward with the budget at this time with the information that I had.”
Without the solid waste fee increase, the city will have to dip into emergency funds. Councilmember John Voss said Summers was being an obstructionist. He supports a fee increase but would not approve using emergency funds as a liferaft for solid waste pickup.
The city is seeking the 85 cent fee increase due to reduced private volume at the waste transfer station, increased trash truck maintenance and higher costs from the company that hauls trash away from the transfer station.
The rate increase was voted on outside of the city’s budget ordinance, which was approved in a four to one vote. Summers was the lone council member who voted against it. The Council also approved a measure to decrease sewer fees by one dollar.
