The Key West Citizen

Council Discusses
Situation During
Special
Session Held Last Night

Private Contractor Operating
Service Refuses To
Continue In Making Collections

The City Council met in special session last night for the purpose of discussing the garbage situation in Key West following the abrupt discontinuance of the service which was being furnished by Jesus Caraballo, who has refused to continue on in collecting trash and garbage throughout the city.

Mr. Caraballo, who was present at the meeting, was asked by Councilman Leonard B. Grillon on several instances if he had any intention of reconsidering his action. The former operator of the system said that he was not interested any further in the matter. This caused the council then to adopt other methods toward making a partial collection of trash and garbage with the use of a few trucks to be operated under the direction of Robert J. Lewis, another former private operator.

Mr. Lewis has agreed to lend his aid in the emergency, at least until next Tuesday night when the council will receive bids for the purchase of trucks to be operated by the city.

When the question of the city operating the service came up for discussion, Councilman William Freeman advised the body that he felt that it was going to be a tough proposition for the city to take over the system due to the acute labor shortage here at this time.

At this juncture, Councilman John Carbonell, Jr., stated that inasmuch as Mr. Caraballo had been asked if he proposed to carry on with the service, that he did not feel the council should beg him to resume operation of the system. Mr. Carbonell further declared that he was heartily in favor of having the city take over its operation.

Councilman Grillon, who coincided with Mr. Carbonell, stated that one of the main reasons why the city had been unable to operate the scavenger service in years past in a successful manner was due to the fact that workers employed to operate the trucks and collect trash and garbage were given a free hand to do as they pleased, instead of having a manager or someone who may have been vested with authority to see that the city was given the same amount of work for the money paid out.

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COUNCIL DISCUSSES
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money paid out as would be given
a private contractor or any
other individual.

Mr. Grillon amplified his statement by declaring that the city's
dollar looks just
as good
to
workmen as any other person's
dollar. He stated that he could
not see any reason whatever why
the city could not operate the
service, providing that the council,
mayor and others in authority looked upon the city as a business in the same light as that of
any other firm or corporation.

After a lengthy discussion, the
council decided to leave the matter stand as it is, with the exception of operating a few trucks
to help out in the meantime.

Mayor Willard M. Albury was
instructed to communicate with
the proper authorities in an endeavor to have the city given
priority in purchasing the necessary trucks and equipment for
the operation of the service.

Councilman Gerald Saunders
offered the suggestion that anyone who may be interested in
operating the service be given
an opportunity to make such a
proposal at another special session of the council to be held on
Friday night prior to the regular meeting Tuesday night.

At the regular session bids for trucks
will be opened and acted upon.

In the event the city does take
over the service, a manager will
be needed, and anyone interested
should attend the meeting to be
held Friday night. The special
session has been called for the
purpose of formulating plans for
future operation of the scavenger service.