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Local contractor asks council to offset city debts against landfill charges; council requests legal follow-up
Summary
A contractor told the council the city owes him for prior debris and dumpster work and asked the city to "cancel" or offset that debt against amounts the contractor owes to the landfill. Council members asked staff and the city attorney to discuss the matter with the landfill director and the contractor's lawyer before taking any action.
Business owner Armando White addressed the council to request resolution of a disputed balance between his company and the city and to ask the council to allow set-off against landfill charges.
White said the city owed his company $37,800 from 2021 work and that in 2023 the city paid $20,293 toward outstanding bills, leaving a remaining city balance White described as $37,737 after accounting and an outstanding landfill balance of $43,316.35. He said his proposal was to offset amounts so that his company's landfill balance would be reduced to approximately $5,579.35. He also said a lawsuit concerning the dispute was pending.
Council members and staff repeatedly cautioned that the contractor was represented by an attorney and that the city could not negotiate with him outside the presence of the contractor's counsel. Derek Turner, city treasurer, said staff had spoken to the landfill director and city attorney and recommended pausing formal action until the landfill director and the contractor's lawyer could be part of the discussion. The mayor and council agreed to pursue resolution through official channels and asked staff to prepare a formal letter to begin negotiations.
Ending: Council asked staff to coordinate with the landfill director and the city attorney; no vote or settlement was taken at the meeting.
