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PARKERSBURG — A resolution on the agenda for Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting would slate a public meeting later in the week on the status of the city’s sanitation services.

“I’ve had several constituents reach out to me about a lack of information and questions,” said Councilman Chris Rexroad, who sponsored the resolution along with Councilwoman Wendy Tuck and Councilmen Zak Huffman and Rob Moore.

Council President Mike Reynolds said it’s too early to have such a meeting, calling the idea “absolutely absurd.”

The resolution says council will recess as the Committee of the Whole at the conclusion of Tuesday’s meeting and conduct a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in council chambers to discuss proposals received to provide sanitation service, the status of a separate bid for recycling service and “any other matters directly related to solid waste disposal services provided by the City.”

The resolution says members of the public shall be entitled to speak on those subjects, ask questions of council members or representatives of the administration “and receive responses as appropriate.” Council may limit the time people can speak or ask questions “in a manner to allow as many people to speak as reasonably possible and place reasonable limits on the time frame of the meeting,” it says.

The resolution also requests that the mayor, public works director, finance director, city attorney and other representatives of the administration with relevant information attend.

The city suspended its curbside recycling service in May, citing staffing issues in the Sanitation Department. A joint council committee voted to seek requests for proposals for a private company to take over trash service for the city, including recycling.

The city received bids from Rumpke and Waste Management for the service, including recycling, and the administration is in negotiation with one of them for a five-year contract.

Last month, the city issued a request for proposals for a subscription-based recycling service under which residents who wanted to recycle would pay the selected vendor to pick up their materials.

Mayor Tom Joyce previously said he wanted to give council “options for long-term solutions” to the sanitation issues. City officials said any portion of the sanitation bids can be rejected, although only one of the bids broke down a separate cost for recycling.

Tuck, who helped organize a meeting of residents to discuss the publicly available sanitation bid documents last month, said people haven’t had a chance to ask about specifics in the bids and how certain policies might work or weigh in on the size of cans proposed, some of which may be too large for older residents to easily maneuver.

Reynolds said he’s already heard from residents in his district how they feel about the situation and he’s willing to listen more, but right now “it’s too early.”

“We all want to give the public more time and more chances to talk about this issue,” he said, adding he also wants to get it resolved.

Reynolds pointed out that the proposals for recycling service have not even been received and the administration has not given council a negotiated contract to consider.

“They have not handed down to us the one that they think is the best fit,” he said. “Why not wait a couple or more weeks or another month…?”

Right now, council won’t have answers for the questions people might ask, Reynolds said.

“If four or five council members (want to have a meeting) where it’s too early and we can’t answer their questions, I hope I’m not in that meeting,” he said.

Rexroad said some residents wanted to share their thoughts “before the city had negotiated a contract.”

“That way, (the) administration had something to go on in their negotiations,” he said.

Joyce, who did not return a call seeking comment Friday afternoon, has previously said deliberative documents will be part of the public record once negotiations are concluded. Council will then have the opportunity to approve, reject or amend the proposed contract.

Also on Tuesday’s agenda is the first reading of an ordinance enacting a residential rental unit inspection and registration program.

And if the Personnel Committee refers it during a meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Meeks Conference Room next to council chambers, the council will also consider the first reading of an ordinance reclassifying the personnel/legal specialist position, which would increase the pay by 52 cents an hour.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com

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Upcoming Parkersburg City Council meetings

* 6 p.m. Tuesday, Meeks Conference Room – Personnel Committee

* 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, council chambers – City Council

* A resolution on the council agenda proposes a meeting of the Committee of the Whole at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in council chambers to discuss sanitation bids and issues.