Meridian Waste, Pell City’s solid waste collection service provider, will operate its normal routes and hours on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 2024, and New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, 2024.
Collection services will not run on Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2024, or New Year’s Day, January 1, 2025. Collection services will be offset by one day (Wednesday pickup will move to Thursday, etc.)
Questions should be directed to Pell City Street Department Superintendent Greg Gossett at ggossett@cityofpellcity.netor by phone at (205) 884-8267.
In St. Clair County, 69 percent of voters approved Local Amendment 1. In the Pell City School Attendance Zone and Tax District, 54 percent of voters approved the measure. Overall, 28 of 30 polling locations voted “Yes” on Local Amendment 1.
The City Council of the City of Pell City accepts the responsibility bestowed by the voters to deliver fair representation to residents of the Attendance Zone through the appointment process. It also recognizes the voters’ desire for leadership of the highest caliber on the Pell City Board of Education.
As Mayor Bill Pruitt and members of the City Council stated during the leadup to the vote, the Council will prioritize a transparent process that results in the appointment of candidates who seek excellence in education. In addition, the Council will seek candidates that prioritize:
A strong interest in public education and student success
A commitment to excellence and continuous improvement
Experience with budgeting and financial oversight
Understanding of school law and policy
Ability to analyze complex data and make sound decisions
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Willingness to collaborate with others and build consensus
Strong work ethic and ability to dedicate time to board responsibilities
Following the General Election, many residents have expressed interest in the application process. A schedule for the release of the official application and the dates when applications may be submitted will be available soon. All procedures for appointment will be adopted by the City Council over the coming weeks following input from the Pell City Board of Education Steering Committee.
The Steering Committee was created by the City Council through Ordinance No. 2024-6158, which was adopted on October 14, 2024. The seven-member committee was activated upon the ratification of Local Constitutional Amendment 1, and have begun their two-year terms. Its members will be organized before the close of 2024 to provide input on the process for appointment.
The Council anticipates that the final appointment process will include most if not all the following actions.
Research and Input
Adoption of Procedures
Timeline and Application Release
Application Submission Window
Steering Committee Application Review
Public Interviews and Comment Period for Recommended Candidates
Board of Education Appointment
Local Amendment 1, supported by the City of Pell City and the Pell City School System, was a ballot measure in St. Clair County, Alabama, on November 5, 2024, aimed at addressing a long-standing issue of representation for residents in the Pell City School Attendance Zone.
With its certification, the Amendment changed the Pell City Board of Education from an elected to an appointed board. The City Council of Pell City will appoint all members of the Board of Education beginning in 2025. At least two members of the Pell City Board of Education must reside within the county portion of the Pell City School Attendance Zone.
The primary goal of Local Amendment 1 was to ensure fair representation for residents in the Pell City School Attendance Zone, who for 40 years have had no direct voting power in the district’s leadership. By appointing the Pell City Board of Education, the Amendment gives these residents a voice in the governance of the schools their children attend.
As of Oct. 1, 2024, the Street Department for the City of Pell City is no longer responsible for the delivery or removal of residential or commercial trash cans. Going forward, this service will be provided by the City’s solid waste collection and disposal contractor, Meridian Waste.
Effective September 1, 2022, Meridian Waste (formerly: Arrow Disposal Services, Inc. or ADSI) began providing residential solid waste and brush collection services to all City residents. As part of this process, new waste carts will automatically be delivered to your home, and your current waste carts will be picked up by the previous service provider.
What you should know
Carts will be delivered / removed on Wednesdays
The deadline for cart delivery or removal requests each week is Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
Those setting up a new account for collection at a home or business should not expect cart delivery until the following Wednesday
Questions should be directed to Pell City Street Department Superintendent Greg Gossett at ggossett@cityofpellcity.netor by phone at (205) 884-8267.
The Pell City Utilities Department announced today, Sept. 24, 2024, that it has completed its Federally mandated review of all service lines ahead of schedule, and that no lead pipes were located within the service area.
The news should be comforting, as lead within a water system is proven to be a dangerous health issue. Utilities Superintendent James Hadaway said residents should feel at ease after his department’s thorough review.
The team of Pell City Utilities Department employees, led by Superintendent James Hadaway (left), spent two years inspecting approximately 6,000 service connections in the City of Pell City’s water system.
“The fact that we do not have any lead service lines within our system shows this Department and this City are committed to the safety of our citizens,” Hadaway said. “We are proud to make this announcement.”
Pell City Utilities began its review of service lines in 2022. The project was mandated as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2021 revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) made in response to the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
The LCR revision required that all public water service systems were to complete an inventory within three years, with the mandatory reporting date being set on Oct. 16, 2024. Over the course of two years, Pell City Utilities employees investigated all 5,991 service lines to comply with the requirements.
“It required us to work on this project nearly every day, but it was worth it to be able to report this news,” Hadaway said.
Residents can review the Department’s summary report to the EPA here, and view the service line material classifications for individual addresses here.
The City of Pell City received notice that its contracted service provider for solid waste collection and disposal, Arrow Disposal Service, Inc. (ADSI), was acquired by by Meridian Waste Acquisitions, LLC. The transition took effect Sept. 1, 2024.
According to Meridian Waste, Pell City customers will see no impact to their services. No changes are anticipated other than minor branding updates.
According to the ADSI website, “Effective September 1, 2024, EEP & ADSI have joined forces with Meridian Waste. While the name of the company servicing you or your business will change to Meridian Waste, the original core group of drivers, helpers, landfill operators, supervisors and managers are still here to help you and keep your homes, streets and businesses clean. Your contracts remain valid and your service schedules will not change except for possible routine operational efficiencies. Thanks for entrusting EEP & ADSI, and now Meridian Waste, with your environmental services. It’s a job we take seriously, and we value your trust in us.”
Questions should be directed to Pell City Street Department Superintendent Greg Gossett at ggossett@cityofpellcity.net
In response to some discussion about the procedure for the Pell City Board of Education requesting funds from the City of Pell City, we would like to be clear. The process begins and ends with the Superintendent for Pell City Schools, who submits requests on behalf of the PCBOE. A request is made, and it is either approved or denied.
There are three documents attached to this post. The first is the original agenda for the PCBOE for a Called Meeting of Sept. 5, 2024. The second is an agenda that has been edited post-meeting, and the third is a request for funding from the PCBOE to the City Council.
The text highlighted in bold in the second agenda implies that City funding for PCBOE contracts has already been committed. Please be aware that the third document is the request for funding, which was hand-delivered to the Council by the Superintendent. It has yet to be approved.
It is anticipated the Council will approve this request for funding, as it has in the past. The third document also discloses last year’s requests from the BOE / Superintendent Martin, which the Council approved in an effort to show its continued support for the Board.
But it is also important to note that the Superintendent is requesting these funds on top of the more than $5 million that the City annually commits to the Board. These funds are discretionary, meaning the Board has full control of how they are spent.
As it has shown in years past, the Council is in full financial support of the students and teachers who drive this system. But it relies on the Board to determine how its contributions can be most impactful.
