Pay on time or pay extra on garbage

COUNCIL BLUFFS — It’s now the law— pay the garbage bills on time or do the fine.

The Council Bluffs City Council on Monday unanimously approved a $20 late fee if residents don’t pay their trash bills on time. Until now, there wasn’t any financial incentive to pay on time.

Bills for trash collection and disposal are sent every six months. The bills are payable Jan. 1 and July 1.

However, residents have more than two months to make the payments. The January bills can be paid until March 15, while the July bills can be paid until Sept. 15. The $20 late fee will be added to any payments after those dates.

Additionally, the new ordinance increases administrative costs on delinquent payments to $50, a $45 jump. Unpaid fees that are 120 days late are considered delinquent and become a lien on the property.

“Last year, we had half a million in delinquent billings,” said Councilman Matt Walsh. “This is intended to be a motive for people to pay.”

Council supports Public Works building

The Council Bluffs City Council approved, on a 4-1 vote, the plans and cost estimates for construction of the city’s Public Works operations facility on 10th Avenue.

The 37,400-square-foot building will house the street, sewer and traffic operations.

These operations now are housed in different locations, one of them by Indian Creek and vulnerable to flooding. Those facilities are also in poor condition and too small, according to the Public Works Department.

The estimated cost is $7.7 million, with half coming from local funds and the other half coming from a state I-JOBS grant. Councilman Matt Schultz voted against the project because he opposes the I-JOBS initiative, he said.

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