MONROE - Members of Monroe Common Council revisited the possibility of bringing Monroe to membership status with the Green County Transfer Center.
City Administrator Phil Rath presented the current costs the city faces as an independent customer with the Janesville landfill.
Rath said the current costs of transporting waste directly to Janesville are roughly equivalent to the costs Monroe would face at the transfer center: about $60 per ton of waste.
However, Director of Public Works Al Gerber said the cost of maintaining the city's fleet of garbage trucks is higher thanks to the trucks' mechanical arms, which Rath said are prone to malfunctioning.
Gerber said the trucks, which began use in 2013 would likely need to be replaced after about six years, where ordinary trucks would last "eight, maybe 10 years."
While members of the council expressed alarm at the shorter lifespan of the trucks - alderperson Chris Beer suggested contracting with a private company for waste disposal - Rath said budgeting for rejoining the transfer station would be difficult.
Each member at the center is billed based on a percentage of use each year, making budget determinations "impossible to judge," Rath said.
Although no decisions were made, Rath advised the council to review the city's options before the center's contract year begins on Sept. 1.
In other business, no updates were made regarding the long-standing flooring issue at City Hall. After the council declared in December that KPH Construction and Environmental of Milwaukee was at fault for failing to complete renovations at City Hall - after replacement flooring tiles were, for unknown reasons, unable to adhere to the building's floors - an investigation into the work of KPH has yet to present results.
With no forthcoming updates, the council deliberated in a closed session to determine its next course of action.
The council also awarded a $77,000 contract to utilities contractor E & N Hughes Co. of Monroe to connect water mains to the new Kwik Trip site on 8th Avenue.
City Administrator Phil Rath presented the current costs the city faces as an independent customer with the Janesville landfill.
Rath said the current costs of transporting waste directly to Janesville are roughly equivalent to the costs Monroe would face at the transfer center: about $60 per ton of waste.
However, Director of Public Works Al Gerber said the cost of maintaining the city's fleet of garbage trucks is higher thanks to the trucks' mechanical arms, which Rath said are prone to malfunctioning.
Gerber said the trucks, which began use in 2013 would likely need to be replaced after about six years, where ordinary trucks would last "eight, maybe 10 years."
While members of the council expressed alarm at the shorter lifespan of the trucks - alderperson Chris Beer suggested contracting with a private company for waste disposal - Rath said budgeting for rejoining the transfer station would be difficult.
Each member at the center is billed based on a percentage of use each year, making budget determinations "impossible to judge," Rath said.
Although no decisions were made, Rath advised the council to review the city's options before the center's contract year begins on Sept. 1.
In other business, no updates were made regarding the long-standing flooring issue at City Hall. After the council declared in December that KPH Construction and Environmental of Milwaukee was at fault for failing to complete renovations at City Hall - after replacement flooring tiles were, for unknown reasons, unable to adhere to the building's floors - an investigation into the work of KPH has yet to present results.
With no forthcoming updates, the council deliberated in a closed session to determine its next course of action.
The council also awarded a $77,000 contract to utilities contractor E & N Hughes Co. of Monroe to connect water mains to the new Kwik Trip site on 8th Avenue.