Councilwoman, mayor’s office at odds over funding dumpsters for her Gary district

A claim by one member of the Gary Common Council that Mayor Jerome Prince is not providing requested dumpsters and support for cleanup efforts in her district was refuted by the administration.

Councilwoman Tai Adkins, D-4th, said during the council’s April 5 regular meeting that she has been trying since February to secure dumpsters and cleanup support for her district with little response from the administration.

“To the residents of the 4th District … I want you to know I have been advocating on your behalf,” Adkins said.

She said when she talked to the administration in February about her request for dumpster, she was told to fundraise.

Adkins said she found the suggestion disrespectful and said she did not think her male counterparts on the panel would have been told the same thing.

“I am hoping that is not the definite answer,” Adkins said.

Deputy Mayor Trent McCain disputed Adkin’s claims during the mayor’s report. He said he takes exception to the claim Adkins was treated differently than her male counterparts.

McCain said Adkins had requested two rounds of 12 dumpsters that would cost $10,800. In prior years, dumpsters and dumping requests were paid for through the city’s contract with the Gary Sanitary District. He said the administration has to consider parity for the city’s other districts as well.

When the council approved a new contract with Republic Services and the GSD, the council chose an option that eliminated city services at a cost of about $600,000 a year, he said.

McCain said the administration has been working on ways to find the money.

McCain said he told council members at the time they approved the contract, the city would have to do the best it could under those conditions. A request to the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney to defer a $600,000 payment due to the GSD from the city has been successful, but it has yet to be approved by the court, so the funds are not available.

McCain said services for dumping and dumpsters, which are now paid on a monthly basis by the city instead of being included in its contract with the GSD, are expected to be as much as $50,000. He said January’s bill is deceptively low at $5,064 because the city did not take any waste to the transfer station.

Since the funding for city collection services was cut, the city has been stockpiling debris at general services. McCain said the city needs to get dumpsters there so the debris can be brought down to a manageable level.

He said he told Adkins prior to the March 16 meeting the administration was working on a solution.

“We are almost there. We haven’t gotten there yet,” McCain said.

Adkins did not accept McCain’s response.

“I don’t give a damn about none of that,” Adkins said.

She said the administration was able to find $18,000 to increase McCain and interim comptroller Arlene Colvin’s salary. Both positions have a base pay paid from the general fund and $18,000 provided by the Gary Sanitary District. She said she is still waiting for an answer as to when the dumpsters will be funded.

“It’s April the 5th and I don’t have an answer,” Adkins said. “That’s what I know about. But I don’t need the lecture.”