OFFICIAL QUESTIONS TRASH WORKERS' PAY

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Handwritten city records and longtime city residents are telling two extremely different stories about trash pickup in Chaffee.

Time cards for the Solid Waste Department, scribbled over a two-month span, show four Solid Waste Department employees leaving the job early almost every day. None of them worked 40-hour weeks -- although at least three employees were paid for them -- and eight-hour days were the rare exception.

But citizens of Chaffee rave about their trash pickup, favorably comparing it to neighboring towns.

"I am not only satisfied, I am amazed here lately," said Theresa Robinson, 41, a floral designer. "I've seen those guys working in the sleet and the rain. I wouldn't do it. Would you?"

Councilman Ron Davis agrees the service is good, but he contends it's not worth the extra $24,960 annually he estimates solid waste employees are paid in wages and benefits they don't actually earn. He's calling upon taxpayers to contact their councilmen and attend the Aug. 6 council meeting to weigh in on the subject.

At issue is how solid waste employees should be paid and what they're expected to do.

No established law

When the city stopped contracting trash pickup two decades ago and brought the service in-house, there were no guidelines, city administrator Ron Eskew said. He combed the ordinances and old records looking for anything that indicated how the department was to be structured.

That wasn't an issue when the Thorngate Ltd. and Columbia Sportswear Co. factories were open and churning out garbage by the truckloads every day, Davis said. There was plenty of work for everybody.

That has apparently changed. Nordin said that in April, during citywide cleanup month, he spotted solid waste employees scavenger hunting through tossed goods during working hours while the street department used its heavy equipment to pick up old furniture and the like.

"They could have helped," Nordin said.

In the wake of that incident and discussions with the city administrator, the department began keeping daily records in June.

None of the department's employees were available for comment Friday. No one answered the phone at department supervisor Steve Felty's residence, and a relative said he didn't know where to find him.

Direction needed

Davis said the problem isn't with Felty, who is salaried, does excellent work and is a good manager. There simply needs to be direction.

"If it is OK with the taxpayers, it is OK with me," he said. "We are here to protect their money. Being in business for myself, I cannot condone paying them when they are not doing anything."

He might have difficulty convincing his peers. Councilman Doug Dirnberger, who is on the council's solid waste committee, said those employees, who make about $9 an hour, deserve full-time wages.

"They have to deal with all kinds of weather, and who knows what they have to pick up," he said.

He pointed out the department, which has a budget of $187,000, earned $31,000 for the city last year.

It comes from Dumpster rental fees and commercial and residential service. Chaffee residents pay $10 a month and have two trash pickups weekly. By comparison, nearby Scott City residents pay $8 a month but only have one trash pickup and one recycling pickup a week.

Councilman Tom Cunningham said he has no intention of helping change the department's structure.

"These guys do such a great job," he said. "Steve Felty and his bunch are just hard to beat. It suits me just fine."

But Davis is pressing ahead and plans to address the subject, tabled at the July 2 meeting. Among the possibilities to be considered:

* Keeping handwritten time cards on each employee and paying them only for hours worked.

* Forcing solid waste employees to help in other departments once their work is done.

* Directing the part-time solid waste employees to work in other departments as needed.

"All I'm asking is for public input," Davis said. "I hate to cause trouble, but this is major money."

Want to go?

What: Chaffee City Council meeting

When: 7 p.m. Aug. 6

Where: Chaffee City Hall, 222 W. Yoakum

Info: 887-3558