THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville City Council met on Monday, April 10, where they approved a new solid waste downtown fee schedule, despite opposition from numerous downtown merchants.

According to Assistant Solid Waste Superintendent, LaTravis Jones, the new downtown fee schedule is part of an update to the way solid waste is picked up in the downtown area.

The downtown will now have eight pickup sites that include dumpsters or Vert-I-Pack trash compactors.

“Vert-I-Pack is a dumpster that has an automated packing system on top of it, which allows four times the amount of garbage to be placed in that unit,” Jones explained. “It’s possible by compaction, it removes all the air space out of that dumpster.”

The first Vert-I- Pack will be located at Jefferson St. and Crawford St. behind AJ Moonspin in what Jones is referring to as Area 1.

Area 2 will have a Vert-I- Pack behind the fire station, which is already in current operation. Area 3, which is on Crawford St. and Smith Ave., behind the Plaza, will have a dumpster.

“Vert-I-Packs will be placed in the more high volume areas, where more garbage is being generated,” Jones said.

Area 4, which is on Smith Ave. and Madison St., behind Rayanne’s Christian Bookstore, will have a dumpster.

A Vert-I-Pack will be placed in Area 5, behind Al Dixon’s Menswear, which is currently in operation.

Area 6, which is behind the Mitchell House, will contain a dumpster, along with Area 7, behind Ponder’s.

Area 8, located behind Kickstand, will have two pickup sites. One containing a dumpster and one containing a Vert-I-Pack.

With the individual garbage cans being removed and being replaced by these eight Vert-I-Packs and dumpsters, Jones said solid waste will begin picking up trash five days a week.

“With all the trash cans right now, it’s taking our guys 2-3 hours to do this whole location,” he said. “But, with just having these dumpsters and Vert-I-Packs it will only take one truck and max 30 minutes.”

However, many merchants found this to be unbelievable and found the Vert-I-Packs to be dangerous.

“Right now, with the trash cans they are not picking up on a regular schedule and I do not believe for one second they are going to jump up to five days a week,” said Rhonda Foster, co-owner of Liam’s Restaurant. “These Vert-I-Packs are supposed to have stairs and a lot of us have younger people, many female, who would have to walk up the stairs, then lift a 50-90 lb. bag over their head into the bin.”

Foster also addressed concerns about handicap employees being able to access the Vert-I-Packs, as there is currently no handicap lift.

Another safety concern of Foster’s was the actual items in the trash.

“We have a lot of glass in our garbage, broken glass, broken plates, if someone were to fall on the stairs carrying that, who is expected to pay for that?” she questioned.

Grassroots Coffee Director of Operations Natasha Fast posed similar questions to Foster.

Fast said she had previously used a compactor when working at Sweet Grass Dairy and had a number of logistical concerns.

“It was very difficult to lift a 45-gallon, 50 lbs. bag into the compactor, when on a busy night you are going through six of those,” she explained. “While it was great when it was working, but more often that not, it wasn’t working.”

Fast questioned who businesses would call after hours when the compactors broke.

“What are we supposed to do to support the city, but follow the law, because I can’t bring the trash back into my restaurant?” she questioned. “These are very day-to-day logistics that I don’t think are being considered.”

Jimmy Smith, Solid Waste Superintendent, was able to answer some of the questions about mechanical issues, but no one from the Council or Solid Waste could provide an answer to questions regarding safety.

“When we first started with the Vert-I-Packs, we found that a lot of people didn’t have the key and so they were sticking screwdrivers and pennies into the ignition, so that was why they were down at one point and time,” Smith explained. “When that happened we had to get our contractor involved, so we put an open top dumpster in front of it until it can be repaired.”

Smith said this is their continuation plan for the future, in the event a Vert-I-Pack goes down.

Smith hopes this issue will resolve itself now that keys are being welded into the ignition.

However, this only upset the merchants more, because now any one can use the Vert-I-Packs, despite their fees going up.

Although the merchants were still unsettled with the solution, Mayor Jay Flowers for a motion to approve.

Councilwoman Wanda Warren made a motion to approve the new fee schedule with Councilman Todd Mobley providing a second. It was then approved.

Jones said the new schedule will be implemented within 30 days.