Mount Carmel mayor, aldermen discuss sewer rate, trash collection

MOUNT CARMEL — Mount Carmel's Board of Mayor and Aldermen discussed the sewer rate, trash collection and more at its work session Thursday night. Town administrators will draft a resolution to raise the sewer rate by 4.6%. This follows a March 2025 resolution to stay on top of annual rate increases, Town Manager Jim Stables said, to avoid making drastic jumps every several years. For instance, the board raised the rate by 35% last year to reflect 10 years with no increases. The 4.6% figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Stables said. It would take the base rate from $43.88 to $45.90, or the per thousand gallons rate from $7.08 to $7.41. "If we don't do this, we'll let ourselves get behind, and face the same situation [we did in 2025]," Mayor John Gibson said. The town will seek bids for trash collection services as Kingsport, its current provider, plans to increase per can rates by 23%. This would increase the town's cost of trash services by about $70,000. However, Stables said switching to a for-profit company, or Mount Carmel doing the job itself, would not make sense financially; continuing Kingsport's service is likely the cheapest option. Assistant Town Manager Tyler Williams also noted Kingsport's high level of responsiveness whenever Mount Carmel has had an issue with trash collection. Town leadership will also pursue an ordinance charging offenders a fee with their speeding tickets to cover related software costs. Williams said Mount Carmel currently pays $6,500 a year, out of pocket, and changing the court cost structure would save money. The fee would be either $14 or $23 a ticket. Grants Fire Chief Mitch Walker spoke to the board about applying for a $420,000-maximum grant — with a 20% local match — to buy a fire tanker. He estimated it would cost around $500,000. The tanker, which would carry 3,000 gallons of water, would complete the department's fleet, Walker said. It would double the amount of water the department brings to a scene, which he said is especially vital in the "tons of areas" with no hydrants or an insufficient water flow. This would improve the department's ISO rating, which measures their ability to fight fires; a good ISO rating can lower homeowner's insurance costs. The tanker could lead to the department opening a second station near Independence Avenue and Carter's Valley Road. "If we're going to provide a service, we need to do it well," Walker said. "Water is the number one thing that fights fires. If you don't have that, the rest of it doesn't make a hill of beans." After this fleet expansion, Walker said, the department would just maintain what they have without need for further growth. He said the grant and eventual purchase likely won't come through until next year. However, Williams said the town will put it in the budget as a placeholder, so they are ready if it happens. Mount Carmel can also apply for another park grant from the state, as it recently set the previous grant money toward building new bathrooms at the town's park. This grant requires a 25% local match. Williams said the town is looking to improve either the baseball field, basketball court or walking trails. "We've made some big improvements over the last three or four or five years already," Gibson said. "This grant could truly finish that project off. Everything up in that park has seen some meaningful change."