New can lids

Council approves $23,450 for garbage lids

Aging garbage containers that have served Newcastle for decades are beginning to fall apart, prompting the Newcastle City Council to approve a $23,450 purchase of replacement container lids during its Oct. 19 meeting.

City Public Works Supervisor Greg Stumpff told council members that a number of the city’s 300-gallon garbage container lids have deteriorated recently, creating a need for additional replacements.

During the discussion, council members were told that some of the containers are approximately 30 years old.

“We went through 125 last year,” Stumpff said, illustrating the ongoing demand for garbage container repair.

Because the proposed purchase exceeded $5,000, council authorization was required.

Councilman Chris Kenney moved to authorize the purchase, and Councilwoman Ann McColley seconded the motion. The council approved the expenditure following a brief discussion about how it would be funded.

Council members questioned whether the expenditure had been included in the city’s budget.

Stumpff explained that the city typically budgets money for garbage container replacements and indicated that approximately $10,000 had been budgeted the previous year.

Although the current allocation was not sufficient to cover the entire purchase, Stumpff said money could be moved from other areas of the budget to pay for the container lids.

The motion passed without any recorded opposition during the voice vote.

The purchase will allow the city to repair aging containers used in its garbage collection system.