By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
A committee appointed to study the garbage collection contract between Forrest City and King Disposal Inc., will make a recommendation to clear up one "gray area," it was decided Monday.
City Council members Louise Fields, Brent Ponder and Roger Breeding discussed the contract. Mary Jeffers was absent.
Most of the meeting centered on the use of the Consumer Price Index in figuring rate increases.
According to a definition from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index is defined as, "A measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services."
However, there is more than one way to use the CPI. One is an average of all prices, and the other addresses specific services, such as garbage and waste disposal.
The current contract between the city and King Disposal does not specify which version of the CPI is to be used. There is an implication that the company could use whichever version is to its advantage whenever time comes for a rate increase (by Nov. 5 of each year, according to the contract).
King Disposal has agreed to a change in the contract, in which the city council will decide which is to be used, in effect locking in one version of the CPI. King Disposal has not offered to change any other parts of the contract.
During the discussion, Breeding said the contract with King Disposal could have been written better, but also said there isn't much the city can do about it. He said the previous contract, with Waste Management, was better-written.
"This contract is a piece of junk," Breeding said at one point. At another point, he said, "We could ask them (King Disposal) to change (the contract), however they are under no penalty if they don't. And it's no more their fault that it's in the contract that way than it is the city's fault for allowing it that way."
Breeding said he had no doubt that the contract could be rewritten when time came to renew it. "Some of this gray language will be changed."
In addition, the old contract allowed industries to negotiate with the company, and seek out other responsible disposal companies if they could not reach an agreement. The current contract gives King Disposal exclusive rights.
Fields said she wasn't convinced that the current contract was necessarily worse than the previous one. She said contracts could be rewritten.
"You don't have to go back to the other contract," she said.
Breeding agreed. However, he also said that during the time the committee has been studying the problem, he has gotten all the things he has asked for except one. He said he asked for the original bid specifications for the current contract, and he had not gotten them.
"You had a packet that was furnished to you by the City of Forrest City to give you the information necessary to make an intelligent bid on this project," Breeding said to Joe King, of King Disposal, who was present at the meeting. "I'd like to have one. If you've still got yours, I'd like to see it."
Another point of discussion concerned a fuel surcharge. Breeding said that fuel costs are figured into the CPI. He said King Disposal is still figuring in a fuel surcharge. King said Waste Management did the same thing when it had the contract.
There was also some discussion on the trip charges. King Disposal is required by the East Arkansas Solid Waste Management District to use a landfill at Helena, and the trip price was figured accordingly. However, when the weather is bad, the Helena landfill often becomes unusable, and garbage has to be hauled to West Memphis. This is a shorter trip, and Sanyo Mfg., has complained that the cost should be less.
King said that the contract called for one price. He said King Disposal doesn't charge more when its trucks have to wait three extra hours at Helena.
In spite of the discussion, the only item on which the city council will be asked to act will be the recommendation to specify which version of the CPI will be used in figuring rate increases.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
The Palestine-Wheatley School Board agreed to allow Superintendent John Manning to negotiate the sale of some property owned by the district which is currently being used by an area farmer.
According to Manning, Don Parsley has placed two grain bins on a lot which is owned by the district. Manning recommended that the district sell the lot.
"Right now, Mr. Parsley has two grain bins on block 19, which is owned by the school district. We've had the land surveyed and made sure that the bins are on our property. I think that it would be best if the board allowed me to negotiate the sale of the land to Mr. Parsley, which would be the easiest way to remedy the situation," said Manning.
Board members agreed to allow Manning to pursue the negotiations, and he ensured them that he would come back to the board prior to finalizing the sale.
In other business, board members agreed to increase the district's lunch prices to 75-cents for breakfast and $1 for lunch for students and $1.75 for lunch for adults. According to Manning, the district had not imposed a price increase for lunch in eight to 10 years.
Board members also voted to approve a $238,665 budget for the
special education program.
An argument between a boyfriend and girlfriend Monday night ended with the boyfriend seeking treatment at a local hospital for numerous stab wounds.
The Forrest City Police Department reported Anthony Pendleton, 24, of 116 Village Gate, Forrest City, was arguing with his girlfriend, Beatrice M. Jarrett, 23, about 8:30 p.m., in front of her home at 2026 Brown St., when Jarrett reportedly went into the house and returned with a knife that she allegedly used to stab Pendleton. Police described the weapon as a knife with a seven-inch blade.
According to the police report, Pendleton's right forearm was "slashed to the bone." He was also stabbed in his left side, his abdomen and his right upper chest area. Pendleton was treated at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and later transferred to the Med Center in Memphis. His condition was listed as critical at press time.
Jarrett has not yet been charged in connection with the incident.
Sales tax receipt figures for October have been reported by the Arkansas Municipal League.
St. Francis County government received $145,911.53 during October.
Towns within St. Francis County also received the following amounts: Hughes, $28,918.98; Forrest City, $228,842.56; Wheatley, $5,762.12; Palestine, $11,477.76; Madison, $15,288.18; Caldwell, $7,202.64; Colt, $5,700.16; Widener, $4,188.98.
In addition, cities in St. Francis County which have their own sales taxes had receipts amounting to the following:
Forrest City, $153,130.93; Hughes, $10,716.73; Madison, $2,263.37;
Palestine, $6,286.37; Wheatley, $6,941.87.
The first round of the high school playoffs Friday made things very interesting for the Professor Pigskin Contest readers.
There were upsets in every high school classification, not to mention Saturday's round of college games.
The upsets on Friday and Saturday left most of the Pigskin players three and out and needing to punt -- with the exception of six readers who managed to rise above the rest by missing only four of the selected games and forcing the "tie-breaker rule."
And, for the second time this season, the Pigskin has a repeat winner.
Mrs. Ken Leiting of Forrest City, who won the contest in Week 8, repeated that effort by coming within 12 points of guessing the correct Arkansas-New Mexico State final score. The actual final score was 48-20 and Leiting guessed 42-14.
Delois James, Lena Joshua, Angela Taylor, Derwin Taylor and James Joshua, all of Forrest City, missed just four as well to force the tie-breaker, but fell short in guessing the actual score.
Leiting picks up another $50 for her efforts.
There are just three Pigskins remaining, so choose wisely. This week's selection of games can be found inside today's Times-Herald.
Tickets for the "Red Hot Sunday Chili Cookoff," to be held Sunday, Nov. 30, are on sale at all branches of the First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas.
Tickets are $5 per person for the Forrest City Area Humane Society-sponsored event, with children under 12 free if accompanied by a ticket-buying adult.
The event will be held at Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church. It will begin immediately after church, and will continue until about 3 p.m..
Contestants will be asked to bring their chili already prepared. There will be judging and trophies, donated by Gadberry's Sporting Goods. Because of the family atmosphere, there will be no alcohol or rowdy behavior allowed.
Condiments such as cheese and onions will be provided. There will also be door prizes and a silent auction.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Forrest City Area Humane Society.
The St. Francis County Quorum Court is scheduled to meet at 6 tonight. at the courthouse. Also, the Forrest City City Council will meet at 7 tonight at city hallQC, council set meetings tonight