Garbage concerns continued to occupy Brookhaven officials’ timeTuesday as aldermen voted to move forward with plans to revamp thecity’s solid waste operations and other changes resulting fromprivatized garbage service.

Among the changes were the dispersal of former SanitationDepartment employees into other areas, inspection of city equipmentto determine what to keep and what to sell, and other efforts tohelp citizens better cooperate with new disposal services.

“We made some progress, and we’ve got more progress to be made,”said Ward Four Alderman Bob Massengill following the boardmeeting.

Personnel decisions were the focus of most of the boarddiscussion as aldermen considered the fates of 17 solid wasteemployees.

Eight employees were assigned to the city’s trash departmentunder the supervision of Willie Smith. James “Peanut” Arnold, whopreviously ran garbage pick up operations, was stationed at thelandfill.

Seven employees were assigned to the Street Department and oneto the Water Department.

Since the reassigned employees will be paid from the generalfund budget instead of the solid waste budget, the budget will haveto be revised. The size of the revision was not known Tuesday.

“We’re going to have to wait and see what payroll looks likebefore we can revise the budget,” said City Clerk Iris RudmanSmith.

The moves left one employee, Rickey Watson, undesignated.

Arnold lobbied to allow Watson to assist him in overseeing tworubbish disposal sites at the landfill. Several aldermen balked atthat suggestion.

“I just don’t there’s enough money there to support it,” saidWard Five Alderman Tom Smith.

A budget proposal discussed at an earlier meeting allowed for nomore than eight employees to be assigned to the trash department.Aldermen approved Arnold being one of the eight despite indicationsthat his salary package would strain the department budget.

“If it doesn’t work out money-wise, we can go back and change,”Smith said during the votes on the trash department personnelmoves.

Alderman-at-large Les Bumgarner said the city had priced itselfout of the garbage operation. He feared the same outcome if trashoperations are not handled correctly.

“If we don’t watch it, we’re going to find ourselves out of thetrash,” Bumgarner said.

Regarding Watson’s fate, Ward Two Alderman Terry Bates, who wasserving as mayor pro tem, supported allowing him to remain at thelandfill. A suggestion of moving him to another city department wasrejected.

“At some point, we’ve got make decisions we don’t want to make,”Massengill said. “It’s a dollars and cents decision.”

As the discussion continued, the board agreed to allow Watson toremain at the landfill for two weeks. They indicated they wouldreview the situation at the next meeting.

Also for the next meeting, aldermen invited Waste Managementofficials to attend to discuss their private garbage collectionservices.

Waste Management began picking up residential garbage in thecity Monday. Aldermen alluded to several comments they had fromcitizens about the new service.

Massengill said the company worked hard, “but I think they wereoverwhelmed with what they had yesterday.” He asked citizens tohave patience as Waste Management becomes more familiar with thegarbage pick up routes.

“I think we’ll see them improve each day,” Massengill said.

The city’s new trash regulations require that trash, or rubbish,and garbage be separated.

Another recommendation acted upon last night involved developinga brochure to inform citizens about the differences in rubbish andgarbage. Massengill was optimistic that citizens will cooperatewith the new service in order to make it a success.

“But we’ve got to tell them what’s expected,” he said.

Bates agreed.

“It’s going to take a while for them to get into the swing ofthings,” Bates said.

The board also approved the advertising for new trash departmentequipment, including two leaf machines and a wood chipper. And therental fee for swacars, used during home renovations and otherinstances involving large debris removal, was increased to $250 aweek.

During a special board meeting last week, aldermen voted to moveforward on the recommendations. However, they delayed action untilthey could consult with Mayor Bill Godbold.

City Attorney Joe Fernald said the mayor, who was not at lastnight’s meeting, returned the recommendations without signing theresolution. After consulting with the Attorney General’s office,Fernald said the resolution became law at last night’s meeting andthe board could proceed with carrying out the recommendations.

“It’s in force and effect now,” Fernald said.