The Brookhaven Board of Aldermen is considering an increase insolid waste rates at the landfill, with officials pointing out theyhave not been raised in several years.

City Public Works Director Steve Moreton presented the list ofpossible new rates to the board at Tuesday night’s meeting. He saidthe rate suggestions did not need an immediate vote, but that itmight need consideration.

Mayor Les Bumgarner said the cost of hauling refuse has gone up inrecent years.

“It’s costing us more to move things out, and we’ve had the samerates for a long time,” he said.

Moreton also added that the city landfill will soon have anadditional expansion, and that will be costly as well.

“Hopefully we’ll be opening a new cell in our class one rubbishfill,” he said. “That’s a great expense, especially building theliner required by DEQ.”

The suggested rate hike would be from a $10 minimum to a $15minimum to drop off a load at the landfill. The rate would also goup from $15 a ton to $20 a ton, and there would be a $30 minimum onall co-mingled trash.

In other business, Ward Four Alderman Shirley Estes told the boardmembers in attendance that there are funds left in the lighting andsignage grant aimed at beautification of the downtown area. Thefunds need to be used before 2011 or they will be lost.

“If we don’t move forward, we’ll lose the remainder of the money,”she said.

Estes suggested the city put together a master plan to concentratethe money on Railroad Park downtown, making improvements toaccessibility, enhancing appearance and making it otherwise morebeneficial to the community.

Part of the reason the grant has remained stagnant is that there isnot an administrator for it, officials said. This led to furtherdiscussion of several city grants that do not haveadministrators.

“People get grants and just assume the city clerk is going toadminister them,” said City Clerk Mike Jinks. “I can do it, butjust not for nothing.”

Jinks pointed out that he has been administrator for grantsregarding the Multi-Modal Facility and the Brookhaven PoliceDepartment, but that his salary was raised slightly to accommodatethe extra work.

“The solution for this is that in the future, whoever does thegrant should do the administration,” said Bumgarner.

But allowing grant money to sit without an administrator is notsomething that needs to continue, said Ward Six Alderman DavidPhillips.

“We need to be more diligent on the front,” he said. “That’s aboutcash flow.”

Brookhaven citizen Vernastine Byrd also discussed a teen summitcalled “On the Other Side” with aldermen. She explained that theevent, which will take place April 3, will encourage teens to stopthe cycle of teen pregnancy and fatherhood.

Bumgarner said he has spoken with Atlanta’s Rebecca Miller, aformer Brookhaven resident, who is pulling the program togetherwith people from Jackson area churches.

“She’s trying to get something beneficial to our youth started,” hesaid. “That’s much needed in this area, and we appreciate whatshe’s doing. We’re also glad someone in Atlanta still thinks aboutus back here in Brookhaven.”