The city-owned compostable material drop-off site has Hastings staff, “tearing their hair out,” trying to find for a good plan for the facility, City Manager Jeff Mansfield said.
The sheer volume to be treated, things left in the wrong place, items that aren’t compostable, oversized compostables and non- residents using the West State Road facility, are the problems.
City staff is looking for solutions; changing the hours, moving it back behind the city garage or a different location and having city police swing by at random times have been discussed, and they’re looking for more suggestions, Mansfield said.
As it opens in the spring, operating hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. when an operator will be there.
“We’ll give it a try to see if it works, if it doesn’t, we’ll come back,” Mansfield said.
Typical compostables include leaves, small brush and small limbs, grass clippings and garden waste such as flowers, stems and foliage.
Also on Monday, the council sent a revised agreement between Hastings City Barry County Airport Manager Mark Noteboom and the Airport Authority back to the authority, “to look at it.” The contract clarified Noteboom’s status as an independent contractor, and had been approved by the authority. As co-owner of the airport by a Joint Operating Agreement (JOA), Barry County and the city both have to approve the contract. The county commission tabled it Monday to give Hastings Mayor Dave Tossava time to address his concerns.
Tossava said the council had asked for a “clean up” of the language in the agreement, such as spelling and double negatives, but had added changes, which could change the meaning of the whole agreement. “I can’t understand the rewording” after the contract
was cleaned up, Tossava said. Councilman Bill Redman’s motion that an attorney also clarify some unclear language in the city/county JOA was approved.
The council also approved Spectrum Health Pennock CEO Sheryl Lewis Blake’s request for the use of up to 50 parking spaces at Fish Hatchery Park from April 30 to May 14 for out of town guests during training on new multi-million dollar computer conversion of its medical information system. Lewis Blake said the facility would celebrate its 95th anniversary in June with special events. //
Other approvals:
*the YMCA’s use of the city’s two sand volley ball courts and skate park this summer,
*a mountain bike team relay race at Hammond Hills Trail Aug. 25, during Summerfest. Staff will work with organizers on additional parking for the event.
*voting to approve amending the Grand Valley Metro Council’s articles of corporation to allow Caledonia to become a member. All GVMC members must vote for applicants to become members.
