The Callaway County Fair Board has requested the city of Fulton to help provide trash service during the week of the fair July 29-Aug. 3.
After much discussion during Tuesday night's Fulton City Council meeting, the request was tabled for approval at the council's July 9 meeting, giving members more time to ponder their stance on the issue and gather feedback from constituents.
"We're trying to keep cost down to help the community," Fair Board President Billy Spencer told the council, noting this year's fair will have a lowered gate fee of $5, and free entry and games for families on Saturday afternoon.
"We're just needing assistance with trash," Spencer said. "We know it's a lot to ask, but we would like to be able to keep going and keep our costs down so people can afford to come."
He said the fair board had a longtime sponsor who paid for trash service in the past, but that individual has retired and no longer providing for that service.
Spencer told the council that Allied Waste has already agreed that the city providing this service would not be a conflict as far as Allied is concerned - a statement which was verified by Director of Administration Bill Johnson.
Solid Waste Manager J.C. Miller questioned whether the city would be causing conflict by competing with private trash providers in the county, but Spencer said the fair board also had contacted those entities and none of them "have the capability of taking care of us."