By Carol Vaughn —
Parksley is looking for two new council members after Dana Bundick and John Carter Parks resigned in January.
The council will hold a work session Monday, March 29, to discuss making appointments to fill the vacant seats until an election is held.
Additionally, the town is advertising for a police officer and public works personnel.
The council after a public hearing Monday voted to enter into a contract with Davis Disposal for trash collection.
“For all practical purposes, the town of Parksley is out of the trash business,” said Mayor Frank Russell.
He said it is “just not economically feasible to buy a new trash truck” to replace the town’s 30-year-old truck, which has been costing the town money to keep running.
Additionally, the current vehicle requires two employees “to basically hang off the back and pick up trash,” he said.
Michael Davis, whose company has been picking up town residents’ trash for the past few weeks, worked out “a special price” for Parksley residents, with the understanding the town will continue to handle billing, according to Russell. The $15 monthly fee currently charged for debris removal will be the trash fee.
Councilman Ricky Taylor, in answer to a question a resident asked at the hearing, said Davis was called in to collect trash after former public works employees “refused to come in to work.”
Russell said the employees were not fired.
The council also voted to contract with Environmental Systems Services, certified sewage engineers, to carry out services for the Parksley sewage system, which serves the business district.
“As many of you know, the sewage system has been a problem for many, many years,” Russell said, adding, “…It’s going to be a long drawn-out affair; it’s going to take months to work it out, but I see a time when our sewage system is going to be working properly.”
Once that is accomplished, “then we can open up our downtown and we can hook up more businesses,” he said.
It likely will cost between $3,500 and $3,900 a month for the services, Russell said.
“From what I understand, we either hire somebody like this to do it or the health department is going to shut us down completely,” Taylor said.
Additionally, the council voted to contract with Virginia Beach company MSA, P.C., to conduct testing of the town’s water supply.
The service will cost the town $500 monthly, according to Russell, who noted Parksley has the second lowest water fee of any Virginia town.
Russell announced the new library is expected to open in July and said according to Realtors with whom he has spoken Parksley real estate values are on the upswing.
He also said a new business, Primitives and More, opened last week in the former Bayside Rehab building and another business, Dunne Avenue Vintage and Thrift will open later this month.
The council also approved spending $265.95 for three trail cameras requested by the police department.
