The Petersburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved accepting a bid from Bates Disposal to provide sanitation services to the town during its June 8 monthly meeting. Mayor Gatlin said Bates Disposal is currently under contract with the Town of Petersburg through June 30, 2026. She said the new contract does not include a rate change.

Vice Mayor Kevin Coffield made a motion to approve awarding Bates Disposal a five-year contract to continue providing sanitation services to the Town of Petersburg. Alderman Charles Gatlin seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved. Alderman Logan Jolly was absent.

The contract provides service once a week for $1,800 a month. According to the contract, “the fee does not include the disposal fee at the dump that is to be paid separately by the Town of Petersburg. Bates Disposal does not provide sanitation containers. We ask that all containers be placed at the edge of the road and trash be bagged. This includes household trash only; no tires or construction materials.” Bates Disposal has been providing services to Petersburg for 25 years.

After a lengthy discussion the BOMA established billing procedures for garbage and septic services.

Before Fayetteville Public Utilities (FPU) took over the Town’s water system as mandated by the state Comptroller’s office, customers’ garbage and septic services were included on their monthly water bills. Mayor Gatlin said plans had been to set up Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit for all garbage and septic system customers. ACH is a secure and cost-effective network used by banks for direct deposits and electronic bill payments. “There are some who are not happy about that. They don’t want to give their account numbers,” Mayor Gatlin said. “I can understand they’ve requested not to do the ACH debit.” She said using ACH debit was to be “a cost savings to the citizens, while also being time efficient in the front office … because there is only one person in the office. We do not have it in our budget to have a part-time employee anymore.”

Mayor Gatlin suggested for those not willing to use ACH they could pay by check or money order. She said checks and money orders can be put in the night depository box. “Miss Laura doesn’t have to get up and go to the window. The check can serve as their receipt,” she said. Debit and/or credit cards will not be accepted.

Residents will be billed for garbage pickup every two months for a total of $30, as approved by the BOMA. Residents can pay $15 a month for two months or $30 for both months. The mayor said the Town will enforce its codes ordinance for anyone allowing trash and garbage to pile up on their property.

The septic fees are for owners of buildings around the square, “if their sewer lines flow into the town’s septic tank,” she said.

Mayor Gatlin recommended the BOMA, “Revisit in December accepting checks and money orders for those who don’t have a bank account. We’ll pull the numbers to see where we are as far as cost; what postage and paper has cost us.”

In his motion to approve billing garbage pickup every two months and accepting checks and money orders, along with ACH payments, Alderman Charles Gatlin included adding, “delinquent garbage bills will be assessed to property owners’ property taxes.” Gatlin said, “If you refuse to pay for garbage pickup, then it’s assessed to your property taxes, like we do any other fines or violations in the town.” He said if renters don’t pay their garbage bill it falls back on the property owner. “That goes back to the owner of the property; they’re the ones who need to be overseeing the property,” he said.

Vice Mayor Coffield seconded the motion, which was unanimously approved.