Jamestown   (CSi)  On Monday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich, said residents turned out for the two recent Open Houses regarding the proposed changes in alley vs. curbside residential garbage pick up.

He has recently been in contact with city officials in Brookings, South Dakota, and how the city has address similar garbage and recycling pick up issues.

He added that the City Council Public Works Committee later this month will receive recommendations from the city’s solid waste officials on possible changes to pass along  with possible committee recommendations to the city council.

Any recommended changes stem from larger garbage, and recycling trucks in negotiating alleys, based on size and access to the alleys, and overhead power lines and trees, along with buildings close to alleys, affecting both garbage and recycling trucks.

On another topic, Mayor Heinrich also reminded residents, 65 and older, and disabled individuals about a program available to ease the property tax burden.

He said the Homestead Tax Credit Act allows, under income guidelines, or those disabled to get tax breaks.  He said to call the city tax assessors office at City Hall, or the county tax office for information and applications.  He pointed out that recent figures show that only about $63,000 in property tax savings has been issued to eligible residents in Jamestown.

 

He pointed out that the 2019 state legislature will take up the “Prairie Dog, Bill,” regarding municipalities receiving dollars from the state’s oil income, for non-oil extracting counties.

He said a possible use for Jamestown, if those dollars are received, is to go toward improvements in the city’s waste water treatment plant.  He said residents should contact state legislators to encourage then to pass the bill, along with candidates for the state legislature.

With the 2019 city Budget Mayor Heinrich said with the property tax increase, that the majority of the taxes collected will go toward budgeting the Jamestown Police and City Fire Departments, and the Municipal Court system.

He said the “Road Diet” transportation plan for Downtown Jamestown will be addressed again at an October committee meeting.  He added that of the $3.6-million approved by  the NDDOT for distribution for Jamestown, $2.4 million,  will go toward new traffic lights.