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El Do council hears picnic feedback, to see automated trash pick-up

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El Dorado Springs City Council met in regular session Monday, Aug. 1, with several items on the agenda, including hearing picnic feedback and changes to trash pick-up.

Judi Baldwin from the picnic committee told city leaders that the July 21-23 annual picnic this year went “very well.” 

Baldwin said the picnic’s carnival was generally enjoyed by the public this year. Additionally, revenues for this year’s picnic were up, or at least equal, this year.

“We had a very successful picnic,” Baldwin said.

Notably, this year marks the end of the picnic’s contract with Fun Times Shows, which has also serviced carnival rides to the Black Walnut Festival in recent years. Community feedback has veered toward favoring a new carnival vendor, especially since this vendor did not have a carousel at the picnic last year due to a scheduling confusion.  

Councilwoman Gabby Kinnett said she had received excellent feedback from the community on this year’s entertainment lineup at the festival – notably Eastern Heights and The Girls Next Door, as well as local acts. City mayor Cory Gayman agreed with Kinnett’s sentiment and said he appreciated the committee’s hard work on the event.

Another visitor, Terry Nichols, Cedar County Memorial Hospital’s new CEO, said he and his wife recently purchased a home in El Dorado Springs and look forward to their official move.

Nichols was at Monday’s meeting to provide his background information and knowledge on the hospital’s future direction. He was confident in the future growth and progression of the hospital. 

“I’m proud to tell the community you won’t have to worry about the hospital closing this year, next year or in the future,” Nichols said.

 “Rural hospitals are about people,” Nichols later said. “If you want to be treated by friends, family, and loved ones, go down the street.”

CCMH is raising wages to be competitive with other area hospitals, he added.

“This area is ripe for opportunity – we just need to take care of it,” Nichols said.

In new business, the board also heard about changes to the city’s trash servicer, the Waste Corporation of America. 

“In the near future, WCA/GFL trash service will begin servicing the residential homes within the City of El Dorado Springs with a modern day ‘automated’ service for the residential trash carts that will require some minimal changes in the placement of the existing trash carts,” a public service given to the council said. 

Container placement is essential to automated trash pick up. Keep your container at least 10 feet from any property that could be damaged, including mail boxes, vehicles, street lights, and electrical posts.

The council, including Gayman, Kinnett, and Luster, seemed to disagree with the lack of choice for this automated trash pick-up service and expressed concern for residents who do not have either the driveway space for cart placement or the physical ability  to have trash carts placed the way they will be required to be placed.

Gayman asked city manager Bruce Rogers if a WCA/GFL trash service representative would speak to the council in person about the change.



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