By: Jeremy Handel, Staff Writer | jeremy@thewoodrufftimes.com
With Waste Connections, the current waste management company, moving away from residential service, Woodruff residents will soon have a new garbage collector.
The Woodruff City Council approved a resolution to enter into a four-year contract with Kirby Sanitation for residential trash pick-up. City Manager Lee Bailey told the Council that Waste Connections, which has had the city’s contract for a decade, notified him that they would no longer be providing residential service and recommended transferring the contract to Kirby.
According to Bailey, residents will see no changes in their service, and Kirby will not be changing out trash cans. He said the contract with Kirby does include annual increases that will eventually raise service from the current $10 per month to $13 to cover the increased cost of trash collection in the city. The rate has not increased since 2003.
Bailey also provided a first reading of the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year that starts on July 1. The budget is estimated to be $6.1 million for 2024-25, with no property tax increases for residents.
The budget includes funds for some major projects, including new equipment for the streets department, a new police officer and vehicle, a new playground at McKinney Park, and the initial design work for the new sports complex off Fountain Inn Road. Bailey said the city’s assessed value increased by $5 million due to recent growth, which will benefit the budget going forward.
Council members also heard a presentation by Jay Jenkins and Ron Gardner of OneSpartanburg regarding a couple of programs the organization is running.
Jenkins provided an update on the Spartanburg PowerUp program, which provides assistance to small businesses, including direction, mentorship, and some funding opportunities. He told the Council that the program has been very successful, assisting hundreds of new businesses and employing 167 people across the county, including 50 businesses in Woodruff.
“We’re having a great impact here, and we want to continue growing this,” Jenkins said.
Gardner introduced the Council to OneSpartanburg’s Re: Degree program, which is a part of the Spartanburg Academic Movement’s Movement 2030 initiative. The initiative is focused on increasing education in Spartanburg County. The Re: Degree program is specifically focused on re-engaging Spartanburg residents who attended some college but never finished their degree. The program provides assistance in getting back to college and finishing, including up to $2,500 in assistance to get re-engaged.
The Woodruff City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month at City Hall. The meetings are open to the public, and the next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 25.
Author: Tracy Sanders
