Latest news with #NewtonCityCouncil
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trash collection fees to increase residential utility bills starting July 1
May 19—Utility bills in Newton will see an increase on July 1. The Newton City Council this past month approved a new fee schedule for solid waste and recycling collection following a new contract with Dodd's Trash Hauling and Recycling. The increase amounts to $3.39 per month for each household in town. Earlier this year, the city distributed requests for proposals to waste management companies, seeking bids for collections services consistent with the existing contract. Three businesses reached out to the city, including local provider Dodd's Trash Hauling and Recycling, which was the clear favorite. Back then it was noted a new contract would result in higher rates for residents no matter which waste management company was chosen. Currently, residents pay $15.16 per month for waste collection services. The new contract would increase that monthly rate for residential units to $18.55 per month. Included in the new five-year contract with Dodd's is an annual rate adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The rate covers solid waste and recycling, landfill tipping fees, recycling tipping fees, leaf bag collection and Christmas tree collection.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Housing improvement grants approved for low-mod income properties
May 1—Two properties in Newton have been approved for Low-Moderate Incoming (LMI) Existing Housing Improvement Grants. The city council unanimously approved both grants at their April 7 meeting, in which one property was granted nearly $3,700 and another was granted $10,000 in LMI set aside funds. For the property at 607 N. Second Ave. E., the owner submitted an application for plumbing assistance and was subsequently given $3,696.27. According to city documents, the owner and the property meet the requirements of the city's LMI Existing Housing Improvement Grant program. The plumbing work includes the replacement of an existing lead water service line. Des Moines Excavating provided the property owner a quote for the work in the amount of $11,928.36, of which $7,000 will be defrayed by the property owner's property insurance policy. Per program policies, the owner will pay the contractor 25 percent of the adjusted project cost — $4,928.36 — and the city will pay the contractor 75 percent of the adjusted project cost through the LMI grant. It is important to note the LMI funds used in the grant come from tax increment financing (TIF) funds. For the property at 423 E. Second St. S., the owner submitted an application for foundation work and was given $10,000 from the LMI grant program. The work entails replacing the main beam, installing a SettleStop floor support system, bracing, joist reinforcement and concrete removal and replacement. Foundation Recovery Systems, of Ankeny, provided a quote for $20,488.79, which means the property owner will pay $10,488.79. Housing development is a serious need for the Newton community. The city is aware there are barriers to providing housing options, one of which being the cost of infrastructure construction, the cost of labor and materials and the challenge of enticing regional developers to the community. In 2023, the Newton City Council established an LMI Housing Set-Aside Funds policy to define program areas for which set-aside dollars can be used. Program areas include: LMI Existing Housing Improvement Grant, state/federal affordable housing application financial support, neighborhood sidewalk construction, reconstruction and ADA improvements, neighborhood revitalization and blight removal, including acquisition and demolition of dead or dying trees. Persons who meet the low income requirements have earnings at or below 80 percent of median household income for the county, based on household size. Eligible grant program areas for Newton include foundation work; permanent or semi-permanent interior work such as flooring, cabinetry or paint; windows and doors; HVAC work; plumbing; electrical exterior treatments; and roofing. The goals of the LMI Housing Set-Aside Funds policy is to assist with the development and construction of high-quality, safe and affordable housing, to support neighborhood revitalizations and to improve neighborhood livability.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina group changes Pride event name following 'nasty' response
LGBTQ+ activists and organizers in North Carolina plan to protest at an upcoming Newton City Council meeting about "nasty" comments from residents and a council member, and hostility over a planned Pride celebration in the town,The Charlotte Observer reports. Keep up with the latest in + news and politics. The LGBTQ+ Democrats of Catawba County organization announced it would hold the Newton Pride Takeover, the first Pride celebration in the city, which would have taken place in the business district with the support of local merchants. 'The LGBTQ+Democrats of Catawba County are officially announcing that for the FIRST TIME EVER, Newton will have a pride takeover event,' the group posted April 14 on Facebook. Hickory NC Events & Information | Wow y'all, it's that time | Facebook Hickory NC Events & Information | Wow y'all, it's that time | Facebook Judging from the comments, the response to the news was overwhelmingly positive. However, some objected to the use of the word "takeover"' in the event's title and that the event was organized by the local Democratic Party. 'It doesn't sound like a love-filled parade gathering for multiple businesses downtown,' one commenter wrote. 'Instead, it sounds like a Hostile Democratic Takeover is going to take place.' Newton City Council member Jon McClure left a comment indicating he did not support the event or the transgender community. "I'll stand by my stance against Trans and +," he wrote. "What you or I prefer in our bedrooms shouldn't be celebrated or forced in public." RELATED: Local residents call out North Carolina school board that banned LGBTQ+ trivia quiz MacGregor VanBeurden, president of the Catawba County LGBTQ+ Democrats, described the negative responses as 'nasty' and singled out McClure for criticism. 'That's when it got really nasty and a lot of people I think felt emboldened by that,' VanBeurden told the Observer. 'So we got a lot of hate, a lot of bad comments, and then our businesses started pulling out from the event. There were some really serious things said, and it's really blown up in the last week.' RELATED: North Carolina man charged with cyberstalking city's first gay council member and other men Newton Mayor Jerry Hodge also singled out McClure. 'One council member does not speak for the entire council, and that may have been perceived as the case, but it is not,' Hodge said. 'We'll be prepared to conduct a civil meeting for our citizens … and we will conduct the meeting within the realm of respect and dignity for all who speak.' In response to the criticism and reports of threats against local businesses, the group changed the name from the Newton Pride Takeover to the Newton Rainbow Celebration. It announced the move in a post to social media, while also speaking about the hostility that forced the change, which the organization said 'brought light to the deep-rooted hatred' from McClure and others in the community. 'I will say that while there has been substantial backlash, there has and continues to be even greater support and enthusiasm,' the group noted. RELATED: Charlotte LGBTQ+ travel guide: embracing Pride in North Carolina The organization also noted some local businesses had received death threats over their support for the Takeover event. 'Thank you to all who love and support us. Together, we will stand strong,' the group said. 'However, the safety of our community is our priority and with people going even as far as to make death threats against us, we must adapt and release this statement to update our community.' RELATED: South Carolina wedding hosts free LGBTQ+ wedding in show of support and protest McClure thanked the group for the changes while downplaying the hostility to the original event by some . 'Obviously I haven't personally experienced the wave of hate you're referring too, other than some name calling by those who have a difference of opinion; but I commend you for the name changing of the event and for recognizing that there is a better location for this event,' McClure said in a reposting of the announcement. The LGBTQ+ Democrats of Catawba County will be protesting the negative response and comments and clarifying the purpose of the Newton Rainbow Celebration at the next council meeting, taking place at 6 p.m. on May 6. Newton is around 40 miles northwest of Charlotte and has a population of roughly 13,000 residents. The county is overwhelmingly Republican and hasn't voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2000.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Newton explains why property taxes won't increase after borrowing $6.03M
Mar. 11—Before the Newton City Council commenced with four public hearings last week that would authorize the city to borrow up to $6.03 million for several different projects, officials had the city's finance officer provide responses to all of the written questions and concerns submitted by residents. According to city documents, $4.2 million would go toward public infrastructure construction, equipment for city cemeteries, vehicles and equipment for police/fire/EMS departments, parks and airport improvements, demolitions of dilapidated properties and funding for the housing initiative program. Up to $930,000 would be used for improvements to the tennis court, city pool, recreational trails and clubhouse at Westwood Golf Course; up to $700,000 would be used for improvements to the fire station and city hall and construction of an animal control facility and training facilities for the police/fire departments. Finally, up to $200,000 would go towards the costs and undertaking of the Downtown Housing Grant and Downtown Micro-Grant programs. Newton Mayor Evelyn George said since there was a written comment given to the city, she had requested Finance Officer Lisa Frasier to review those questions and concerns and address them at the March 3 council meeting. Frasier said some residents mistakenly believe the bond will raise property taxes. "We do not intend to increase the levy at all because of this bond," Frasier said. "We work closely with our financial advisors, D.A. Davidson in Des Moines, and we project that out through many years to make sure the city can pay this without raising the debt service levy and our total levy in order to pay for these." Newton News has summarized these questions based on the comments shared by city staff at the city council meeting. Question #1: Wasn't the city administrator concerned about meeting city expenses after the Iowa Legislature passed property tax reform? Frasier: That's a true statement, but this bond does not impact the general fund. That is what the city administrator was referring to when he made that comment. This bond would only be paid for with debt service funds, TIF funds or enterprise funds. So the general funds, which the city administrator was concerned about, are not used to pay for this debt that we are incurring. Question #2: Would approving the four loan agreements on March 3 raise property taxes on the average home in Newton by a combined $92.98? Frasier: So the levy we proposed in FY26 and beyond is only $17.10. The same as it was before. And so we don't project it to be higher in future budgets. So none of these bonds would increase anyone's property taxes. We are not raising our levy to pay for any of these bonds. Question #3: How does the water revenue bond factor in to all of this? Frasier: The water revenue bond passed in November 2024 (more than $2.5 million) could only be paid with water revenues generated by the water fund. It cannot be put on debt service taxes and levied on our taxpayers. That's the only way we can legally pay for that. Question #4: Why does the city need a police and fire training facility? Frasier: So the police and fire departments are both in need of climate controlled storage of equipment, vehicles and evidence. If you remember when we did the parking lot reconstructions, we tore this garage down over here. The police department used to use that facility, that little shed to store a lot of things like bicycles and things they picked up. They no longer have that storage. That's one item. We don't have a place for an extra ambulance when we are full. Right now we are down one, but when we have all our ambulances that we should have we don't have a place to put that. So this would also be a facility for that. The other really big thing is the fire department would do their training over at that facility instead of closing this lot. That's kind of an inconvenience for the public when they're having their water spray everywhere. When the public wants to access the fire department it's difficult for them to do that. Question #5: Wasn't ARPA money approved for police and fire equipment and also for the golf course clubhouse? Frasier: That is true, but we need police and fire equipment. It needs to continually be replaced and updated. We have to make sure our police and fire are equipped with the best equipment available for use when they do their jobs. The golf clubhouse what we're borrowing for in this bond is for phase three of the project. I think that is almost the final phase. So that's really good news. ARPA was for phase one. Question #6: Can't commercial building owners fund their own projects downtown? Frasier: A vibrant downtown attracts more visitors from other communities. So these property taxes within the district, which is a TIF area, those revenues from those properties in the district will make the payments on this portion of the bond. So the residential taxpayers will not pay on that portion of the bond. Only the property taxes from that TIF will pay on that bond. Question #7: Won't the animal control facility cost more than Parkview? Frasier: Parkview canceled the contract providing these services to the city. So without a contract the city has estimated the cost would be around $90,000 a year. Although the upfront costs of setting up the city's own facility will exceed that amount in year one, ongoing operation expenses are expected to be in the $30,000-$45,000 per year range. So we'll be saving almost double if we would just not have a contract and use services estimated at $90,000 year. So it's a good investment for the city and for the taxpayers. Question #8: Hasn't the pool already been improved the past few years? Frasier: True statement with the park bond. We did a lot of improvements at the pool. But what we're proposing is some painting of the pool for $15,000. It's very important to keep your maintenance up on the pool, and it's essential for keeping it in good working order so we don't have to shut the pool down, possibly, in the middle of summer. Then people wouldn't be able to use the pool where they purchased their passes. We want to make sure it's in excellent condition. Question #9: How do the low or fixed income residents afford this? Frasier: So we looked up the person who had written this letter. In 2024, their taxes were $2,566 for the year. In FY25 that fell to $2,451, which is a decrease of $115. The tax levy rate remains at $17.10 for the city. Projected in FY26 with the city's $17.10 levy and if the school and county keep their levies the same, their taxes would go down $66 more dollars to $2,385. That's a 7 percent decrease from FY24 to FY26, and the dollar amount is $181. How many expenses for anyone has gone down that much in the last two years? I don't think much has.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dodd's Trash Hauling and Recycling remains Newton's waste disposal provider
Mar. 7—People may have expected a dumpster fire at the Newton City Council meeting this past Monday night based on the amount of passionate online comments in support of Dodd's Trash Hauling and Recycling, but in reality it was a relatively tame affair that ended with a unanimous vote from officials to stay local. Council members voted 6-0 to instruct city staff to seek a contract with Dodd's, passing over two other trash hauling providers whose representatives argued they have more progressive systems than the Newton-based and family-owned company. Officials and citizens made it clear they like what they already have. They like being able to call Dodd's at a moment's notice for a roll-off dumpster. They like that the owners are set in their ways and value a workforce rather than an expensive automated system. They like that Dodd's has always been there for the community whenever they needed them, and even when they didn't. From the moment city staff introduced the proposals to officials in February, council member Randy Ervin was very upfront in his support for Dodd's. It would take a lot to convince him to vote for another provider. He feels a connection to the owners who have shown their love for the community time and time again. "I don't know how you can vote for anybody other than Dodd's," Ervin said. Council member Melissa Dalton said she wouldn't be doing her job as an elected official if she did not listen to residents and choose Dodd's. Although it would be nice to have uniformity and automated services, Dalton said Dodd's is local and its owner-operators are frequently involved in or sponsoring community events. "It's kind of a no-brainer for me," Dalton said. "Do I think the other two have great things to offer? Absolutely. But I feel like ... the people have spoken." HOW THIS ALL STARTED & THE RATES TO CITIZENS Last month the city announced it had solicited proposals from other waste management companies. Three companies responded, including Dodd's, Midwest Sanitation and Recycling and Waste Management and Recycling Services. Their proposals were shared with city council members. Regardless of which proposal council chose, the rate charged to citizens would have to increase. Waste disposal fees are added onto utility bills. Currently, the residents of Newton are charged $15.16 per month for solid waste disposal. The city estimated residents would pay $18.05 per month if the city chose Dodd's, but they would be limited to only a 35-gallon bin. By the end of the five-year contract, the fee to residents would climb to $20.08. Midwest Sanitation would cost residents $20.80 per month for a 35-gallon bin ($23.41 by Year Five); $23.15 per month for a 65-gallon bin ($26.06 by Year Five); and $25.85 per month for a 95-gallon bin ($29.09 by Year Five). Waste Management would cost $20.65 per month for a 65-gallon bin ($25.10 by Year Five) and $23.05 per month for a 95-gallon bin ($28.02 by Year Five). RATES FOR THE CITY ARE LESS THAN WHAT CITIZENS PAY However, the rates to the city are less than what citizens pay. The base proposal from Dodd's presented a $15 per month per unit rate for the city, with an annual increase based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Despite the low rate, city staff said Dodd's has the highest price-per-gallon rate. Which is in large part due to the hauler's choice to go with 35-gallon bins. Dodd's chooses this size of bin because it not only makes it easier for staff to manually haul them into the backs of trucks, but it is also less strain on elderly populations in town who may struggle moving a larger bin to and from the curb. Midwest Sanitation and Waste Management utilize automated systems. The base proposal from Midwest Sanitation was $20.58 per month per unit with a 3 percent annual increase. The company's alternative proposal came in at $17.75 for 35-gallon and 95-gallon carts and $17.50 for 65-gallon carts. Waste Management did not want to provide a manual collection system and it does not typically provide collections for 35-gallon bins. It proposed the cheapest rate to the city at $14.98 per month per unit for 65-gallon and 95-gallon carts. Waste Management also had the lowest price per gallon. NEWTON RESIDENTS CLEARLY WANT DODD'S Dana Woody, of Newton, said she does not care that the city solicited proposals from trash hauling companies, but she also does not know why "we would threaten their livelihood with trying to go with somebody else from out of town." Woody noted all the times Liz and Dave Dodd have helped their community. "Unless they have mentioned or talked about wanting to retire or something like that, I don't think we should take away their business," she said. "Newton is all about helping small business ... Why would we give that business to somebody else when they have been here so long and have done such a great job?" Jerry Chandler Jr., of Newton, said all he has heard is "local, local, local." He argued the Dodd family have given so much to their community. Chandler also feels a personal connection to the business because he used to work for Dodd's. To him, it didn't make sense to offer the service to anyone else besides Dodd's. "They're a local company," Chandler said to council members. "They've done nothing but support this town. This community has done nothing but benefit from the Dodd family. I don't know why there is even any consideration, guys. These people are the ones that deserve it ... Leave it local." Jeff Hoebelheinrich, the former Newton police chief, also understood that it was the city's duty to let other companies send their proposals, but he made it clear he was a supporter of Dodd's, too. Hoebelheinrich noted the online responses posted on the Newton Daily News Facebook page, which amassed 200 comments. "All of them except for one person — one smart aleck — had to say something negative about them. Everybody else they were 100 percent positive for Dodd's," Hoebelheinrich said. "...It sounds like if you put paper to pen, the numbers, as far as I'm concerned, everything laid in Dodd's in favor." Hoebelheinrich added that Dodd's may not be the cheapest option when it comes to price per gallon, but he felt their service outweighed that metric. "I think the service that they're giving us at that price is beneficial for the city." TRASH HAULING PROVIDERS MAKE THEIR CASE Liz and Dave Dodd were thankful for all the support Dodd's Trash Hauling and Recycling has received. The third-generation, family-owned business has provided trash hauling services to the City of Newton for the past 45 years. Liz Dodd said they knew the contract with the city would expire this year. "So we began meeting with Joe (Grife), the public works director, to work through the process to get to where we are today," Liz Dodd said. "People want to think that we didn't know this was coming and that you guys were after is. They all need to understand that was not the case." Liz Dodd recalled the history of the business and its efforts to introduce recycling services to the city. Although Newton residents are to use an 18-gallon bin for their recyclable materials, Dodd's allows residents to dispose more than what can be fit inside the bin during the weekly pickups. "We'll take it all," she said to city council members. "We don't care what color the container is. We don't care what size the container is. As long as it is identified as recycling and it's separated from your trash so we know what customers' intentions are, we take all the recycling." Dodd's also has worked arrangements with residents who have difficulty bringing their 35-gallon garbage bins to their curbs. "If somebody reaches out to us — even if they haven't been to a doctor — if they're medically not able to get their stuff at the end of the curb, we'll take their address and we'll ask if they'll leave a light on since we do this stuff at night," she said. "We just go and get it and it works out perfectly." Bryan Vander Meiden, president of Midwest Sanitation, said the family-operated business is comprised of local customer service workers, maintenance techs, a safety director and 40 employees striving to fulfill the company's slogan: "pride in service." Vander Meiden said Newton has been a goal of Midwest Sanitation. "Always has been," he said. "We currently service Baxter, Sully, Lynnville and Monroe in Jasper County, and many other communities in Central Iowa and South Central Iowa. We're here for a community partnership. We understand it's been status quo for 40 years. And we're here to move it forward." Vander Meiden added that Midwest Sanitation bid per the city's bid specs, and it was the only company to bid all tote sizes. He urged council members to truly compare the trash haul providers apples to apples and not apples to oranges. He also highlighted the company's community involvement. "I was honored to sit on the committee for RAGBRAI in Knoxville, and we helped take care of the trash, recycling and the portable toilets as RAGBRAI passed through on an overnight town in Knoxville," he said. "While we were also doing Knoxville, we oversaw the trash, recycling and portable toilets at Albia." Midwest Sanitation has also covered events like Tulip Time, Monroe Old Settlers and numerous Fourth of July celebrations in multiple communities. The company is also the waste disposal provider for the Iowa Speedway. Vander Meiden noted changing providers and systems is a hard transition but a good transition. "I've listened to a council that wants progress, that wants to move Newton forward — not stay status quo," he said. "I urge you to think about that as you make this decision to move to a carted program. Once you go carts, I've never had a community that's said we didn't like it, we don't want it." Ammon Taylor, area manager for Waste Management, wanted to address the elephant in the room: Waste Management and Midwest Sanitation are going up against a very popular, local hauler. Even if council chooses to go with Dodd's, Taylor requested the city still think of Waste Management for partnerships. "We still want you to call on us to be your community partner in the years ahead," Taylor said. "We have engaged with other communities across Iowa who are not our current customers when it comes to community grants, planting trees, different events such as RAGBRAI." Taylor hoped council could see beyond the emotional appeal of choosing a provider like Dodd's. He argued the council is not voting for who is the most popular, nor is it a referendum on past performance. To him, this was a vote on how the city wants its trash to be serviced. "There are two very distinctive and different service models on the table," Taylor said. "...We are asking you tonight to vote for an automated collection program. Almost every community in the Des Moines metro area has already made this transition." Automated collection, he added, dramatically increases both recycling participation and recycling volumes coming out of the community. Taylor said it also increases the convenience for residents by providing everyone with the same standardized carts at no additional expense. "It improves the curb appeal of your community," he said. "Those new carts look good and they also help reduce litter by having standardized lids. You'll get a new CNG fleet — compressed natural gas — versus diesel. And it helps ensure an exceptional service experience consistently." Taylor argued Waste Management is the low bidder between the three companies. Its bid to the city was lower than the bid from Dodd's, and its price per gallon was also lower than Dodd's. Taylor said choosing Waste Management means reduced tipping fees due to volumes moving from trash to recycling. "You have a lower tip fee for recycling than you do for trash," he said. "As we help increase the volume of recycling, you're shifting that tonnage from a high tip fee base at the landfill to a low tip fee base in recycling. And you're extending the life of your landfill. Again, some of the benefits automated collection only can bring." Taylor agreed with Vander Meiden that it would be a tough transition for Newton to choose another trash hauling provider. "Change is hard," he said. "I'm sure the transportation industry got a lot of pushback when the Model T came out. But look where we are today as an industry with transportation, and this is what automation is in the waste industry. We can help make a smooth transition for your residents." CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS OUT-OF-TOWN PROVIDERS While many of the council members would give their individual input later in the meeting, Ervin led the charge in questioning the providers. He first questioned Waste Management over its bid package, specifically the base proposal of a manual collection service for a 35-gallon bin of solid waste. Waste Management had put down $100 per household for the base proposal. Taylor spoke with the public works director and said it is not a scope of service the company is interested in. But Waste Management didn't want to be rejected on a bid by not bidding a line item requested by the city. Taylor asked public works if Waste Management should inflate the base proposal to the point where it sends a message that it does not want to provide a manual collection service but is still compliant in the bid process. Taylor said the public works director told him yes and gave him the OK. However, Taylor later clarified that although Waste Management is only interested in an automated only system, workers do follow through with manual collections when appropriate. If an alley is too difficult to travel through or an elderly resident needs assistance, workers can pull those carts out manually. Ervin questioned if providing bigger bins would really increase recycling. Taylor cited news articles from 2021 that said Omaha saw increased recycling volumes thanks to the implementation of larger bins; from 2019 to 2021, Omaha saw 30 percent more recycling usage. Ervin disagreed with those numbers. The council member then asked where Waste Management's corporate office is located. When Taylor tried to explain the regional hauling office is located in Des Moines, Ervin interrupted him and repeated that he wanted to know the corporate office location. Taylor said the corporate office is located in Houston, Texas. Council member Joel Mills argued a representative of an undisclosed city is "not too satisfied" with the overall contract Waste Management provided, the primary reason being a "lack of customer service." Mills asked Taylor to explain what the business plan would be if Newton chose the provider. "Two parts to customer service. One is the city. Questions about the contract, about the rate, about the billing. That's your area of management. That would be me. As it relates to customer service for residents and their trash being picked up, there are several different resources for them," Taylor said. Waste Management has a call center in case there is a missed pickup or other issues that can be addressed. The company also has a website to report these same issues. Customers can also use an app. Taylor said Waste Management has invested in a lot of technology to help its customers. Ervin asked if Midwest Sanitation offered manual or if that was a service it would provide to the citizens of Newton. Vander Meiden reiterated that the provider bid everything per the city's specs but also provided an alternative proposal. Ervin also asked where the corporate office is located. Vander Meiden said Pella. "Is it a family company or a corporation?" Ervin asked. Vander Meiden said, "It is a corporation but it is owned solely by myself and my parents still have some." Ervin asked if Midwest Sanitation provided any other services to Newton other than events at the Iowa Speedway. Vander Meiden said it was providing services to Gates and Maytag Dairy Farm, and it currently provides service to the mobile home park. Council member Steve Mullan asked why pickup is only in daytime. Similarly to the automated service, it is more efficient but it is also safer. Vander Meiden said safety is a key component to Midwest Sanitation. "Safety, safety, safety," he said. "We want to have that driver enclosed in that cab ... A garbage truck gets rear-ended a lot, right? If you have people working behind that truck, guys, that is very dangerous. That's the whole reason why in 2000 we chose as a family to go automated." DODD'S QUESTIONED BUT IS THE CLEAR FAVORITE To Ervin, the council's decision goes beyond just what it costs. The council member commended Dodd's for employing individuals who need second chances and have difficult finding jobs elsewhere. Ervin said the Dodd family helps put those people back on their feet. "That, to me, is why we would stick with you," Ervin said. "...There is a little piece in the back of my head that says, 'Man, it would be really nice to have uniformity, the guys with the new stuff.' There is part of me that thinks that would be cool. Is it worth it? Not really." The council member went on to ask Liz and Dave Dodd if they were ever threatened by the city, that the city was going to look elsewhere. Both said no. Ervin said it made the council proud to see the support from the community, but he also questioned if Dodd's can handle a five-year contract. "Five years is a long time," Ervin said. "Are you going to be able to commit to the city for five years as a family?" Dave Dood said, "We wouldn't have did the contract if we weren't going to do it." Liz Dodd noted that although there are rumors of their retirement or stepping back, it doesn't mean if they do that Dodd's will cease operations. The family business can still keep going, she said. Mills asked if Dodd's has ever thought of changing its business model or automating their system. "We have not," Liz Dodd said. "The investment is huge." "Plus," Dave Dodd said, "I like having people working. I've got employees that work and they're involved in the community, they shop here, they're all here. And that's the workforce. I don't want a machine running the route." "We may be set in our ways a little bit but we've provided jobs for people who never had a chance," Liz Dodd added. "It's a hand up instead of a handout. At least they're not living off the government and at least they're trying. Are they perfect? No. But we have many success stories."
