The Greeneville Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday to raise the tipping fee charged for household waste at the city/county landfill and transfer station, effective July 1.

Alderman Sarah Webster explained that the $5.27 increase had earlier been recommended by the Greeneville/Greene County Regional Solid Waste Planning Board.

Webster said the landfill was set up as an "enterprise account" of city government in the early 1990s, and though it was intended to be self-supporting, that has never happened.

The landfill has been making up deficits for five years by "borrowing" every year from an account set up to cover the costs of emergency remediation at all landfills, Webster said. The city and county each contribute $100,000 per year to that account, she said, but at one time, the contribution was significantly higher.

Webster said that, if the tipping fee were to be raised to the level needed to make the landfill self-supporting, the increase would have to be $11.02. The planning board thought that would be too drastic an increase, she said, and so decided to recommend an incremental increase this year.

The contract that the city and county governments have with the BFI landfill in Hawkins County has a cost-of-living clause, she noted. That clause will raise the cost per ton for using the BFI landfill by 27 cents in January, Webster noted.

She said the planning board decided to recommend a $5 increase, and also to recommend that the 27-cent cost-of-living increase go into effect six months early, in July instead of January.

The increase affects household waste only, Webster said. Thus the current rate of $34.07 will increase to $39.34 on July 1. The $20 per ton charge for construction and demolition waste will remain unchanged, as will the $10 per ton charge for landfilling brush, Webster said.

Garbage trucks operated by Greeneville and Greene County also pay tipping fees, but pay a lower rate because the city and county governments own and operate the transfer station, Webster said. The increase will also be applied to the rates the city and county pay.

The board approved an ordinance, on the first of two required readings, to amend the municipal code to increase one portion of taxicab charges.

The amendment raises the rate for "waiting time" to $2.25 per quarter-hour. The resolution states that the waiting time will be charged in five-minute increments at 75 cents per increment.

That change was related to a request for a taxicab franchise for William H. Backer, which the board also approved. Backer asked that the waiting time rate be increased when he applied for the permit.

Capt. Teddy Lawing of the Greeneville Police Department said a background check found Backer to be of good character and high morals.

Backer said he served seven years in the U.S. Navy, and has also worked for Holston Home For Children. "I saw a need for another taxi cab and I'm willing to take that on," he said.

Mayor Darrell Bryan asked and was told there is only one other taxi franchise in Greeneville.

The city board also approved a property transfer from the city government to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), and authorized the mayor to execute a warranty deed making the transfer.

Lt. Mike Crum said the FOP has had a problem getting financing to improve the FOP building, since it is owned by the city.

Approval was unanimous.

The board also voted unanimously to re-appoint Jim Emory to the Greeneville Light & Power System's board of directors, until 2012.

Mayor Bryan added an item to the agenda at the request of Fire Chief Mark Foulks. The fire chief said Fire Lt. Alan Shipley has completed six months' probation and met all requirements, and asked that Shipley be made a permanent lieutenant.

In response to a question from Alderman Laraine King, Foulks said Shipley, the department's fire marshal, has completed fire marshal school and has a year to take the fire marshal's test.

Approval was unanimous.

The board then adjourned and reconvened as the Greeneville Beer Board to consider a beer permit for on-premise consumption at Shooters, 5190 W. Andrew Johnson Highway. The applicant is Glenn Smith.

Capt. Lawing said a background check had been conducted and "nothing on the application shows a conflict."

The business was formerly operated as "The Hangout."

Approval was unanimous.