Clifton City Commission Discusses Solid Waste Rates, New Tipping Fee

The Clifton City Commission met in regular session on Monday, November 24, 2025, at City Hall in Clifton. All commissioners were in attendance, including Mayor Mark Staggs, Vice Mayor Tammy Prince, Commissioner Dwight Thompson, Commissioner Jeff Letson, and Commissioner Michael Francis. Also present were City Manager Kristeen Duren, City Recorder Samantha Haines, City Court Clerk Madison Durbin, and various department heads.

Mayor Staggs called the meeting to order and Randy Burns offered the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.

The minutes from the October 2025 meeting were unanimously approved.

Some items of old business were reviewed. City Manager Duren reported that the Employee Social Media Conduct and Discipline Policy and the Employee Media Permission/Refusal/Revocation Form were in the process of being finalized.

Ms. Duren stated next that Police Chief Steve Wilson had completed training with all city police officers on the new Body Armor Policy and Procedure Manual and all officers had signed acknowledgement of the policy and were issued new body armor.

Lastly under old business, City Manager Duren reported that the employee handbook had been amended as directed with Christmas Eve being added as a paid holiday in place of Juneteenth. The day after Thanksgiving was also added as a paid holiday.

A resolution for street closure for the Stroll Through Christmas event was first under new business. Commissioner Letson made a motion to approve the resolution and Vice Mayor Prince seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

County Commissioner Alvin Creecy was a guest speaker for the meeting. Commissioner Creecy addressed the board regarding the new county tipping fee for solid waste, the structure of the solid waste system in Wayne County, and how the tipping fee will impact Clifton and the other cities in Wayne County. He stated that approximately 40% of the county’s population live inside city limits and 60% live outside city limits. He said commercial haulers collect about 80% of the garbage going to the county’s solid waste facility/transfer station, and that solid waste is a county-wide issue, not just a “city garbage” issue.

Commissioner Creecy stated that the solid waste system has been primarily funded by property tax – roughly 80% of the budget. He noted that about 10% of land tax payments have effectively gone toward solid waste and emphasized that the current system is not particularly fair, with some landowners paying a disproportionate share through property taxes.

Mr. Creecy stated that the county is implementing tipping fees and plans to use wheel tax allocations to help reposition solid waste as a self-sustaining department that pays its own way. The plan is to move away from heavy reliance on property tax and move toward solid waste funding itself through user fees and dedicated revenues.

He went on to explain that the county-imposed tipping fee translates, by his math, to roughly $5-$6 per household per month in additional cost to private haulers. He expressed concern that some private haulers are seeking much larger increases and blaming the county and the tipping fee for the entire increase, which he said is not accurate. Mr. Creecy clarified that he has no issue with private companies making a profit but does not want the county to be falsely blamed for the full increase.

Commissioner Creecy stated that in 2024, around 800 tons of material was recycled in Wayne County, and after expenses, recycling produced a net positive return – approximately $32 per ton, totaling about $25,000. He explained that more recycling reduces landfill tonnage, thereby reducing tipping costs. He noted that statewide landfill tipping costs have roughly doubled over the years and are expected to continue rising.

Mr. Creecy informed the board that citizens can call to arrange the pickup of appliances, which helps prevent illegal dumping. Tires are accepted for a fee equivalent to what it costs the county to dispose of them. He noted that all three cities in Wayne County have curbside recycling collection, and that residents must only be placed on the call list once for their recycling to be routinely picked up. Residents can put recyclables in labeled bags or recycling containers at the curb, and the county will then sort the material.

City Manager Duren addressed the board about the current solid waste contract with RaeKar, Inc. She stated that RaeKar had sent an amended contract to include the cost of the tipping fee. RaeKar currently charges the city $9.46 per residential account, and the city charges their customers $15.13 per residential account. The difference covers various administrative costs.

Ms. Duren stated that RaeKar had notified the city that they desire to increase their charge to the city to $19.45 per residential account, citing the new Wayne County tipping fee. This would represent a $9.99 increase in what RaeKar charges the city per household. The city’s current contract with RaeKar is a five-year contract, allowing new tipping fees to be imposed. The board expressed concern about amending the contract mid-term and about the size of the requested increase. Ms. Duren stated that RaeKar’s calculations were reportedly based on a national average of 42.5 pounds of garbage per week for a family of four. It was noted that Collinwood had been weighing their garbage at Hassell & Hughes to determine actual tonnage, and that Clifton may be able to obtain similar data. City Manager Duren indicated that she had requested data from Commissioner Creecy on how tonnage is divided between city and county accounts.

City Manager Duren reported that the solid waste fund had run deficits requiring subsidy for several years:

• FY 2024: approximately $41,648 deficit

• FY 2025 (projected): approximately $33,174 deficit

• Current year (projected): $19,349 deficit

Ms. Duren calculated that if RaeKar’s proposed charge is accepted and the city reduces its administrative percentage from 60% down to 40%, the residential rate would need to be approximately $27.23 per month to break even. If the city were to keep the 60% administrative rate, the residential charge would have to be about $31.12. The proposed $27.23 already reflects an attempt to minimize the increase.

Mayor Staggs asked for the current contract to be reviewed by the City Attorney before recommending a course of action. City Manager Duren stated she would also contact Lindsay Ross at solid waste, Harry Floyd, and other appropriate officials to obtain solid waste tonnage data.

Next on the agenda was a resolution presented for the application for a Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training (VFP) Grant through the State Fire Marshal’s office. City Manager Duren stated the requested grant amount is $100,000, and the grant requires a local match of 5% or 10%, depending on the city’s classification. She said the city is planning for the maximum 10% match of $10,000 and that the city’s budget had been reviewed and can accommodate the match. The funds, if awarded, will be used primarily to purchase new turnout gear and other essential equipment for firefighters. Fire Chief Mike Chilcott explained that upgrading equipment should assist in improving the city’s ISO rating, currently at Class 6. His goal is to reduce the rating to Class 5, which would help lower insurance premiums. Commissioner Thompson made a motion to approve the resolution, and Vice Mayor Prince seconded. The motion carried unanimously on roll call vote.

Departmental reports were next on the agenda. City Manager Duren notified the board that a TDOT grant review of the airport had been completed, and all items were in order. She said when weather permits, the contractor over the runway painting will return to complete the permanent striping and markings. She stated that the city was preparing right-of-entry forms for property owners so that obstruction clearing may be done, and that the state set a goal of completing the obstruction clearing before Christmas. Ms. Duren said a groundbreaking ceremony for the new water treatment plant was planned for January 8, 2026, and site clearing had already begun to keep the project on schedule. She stated that letters with information about solid waste, tipping fee changes, and recycling had been mailed out to residents.

City Manager Duren notified the board that the city received a CDBG lighting grant for the ballpark and that a meeting would be scheduled to begin planning and implementation. She stated that TVEC had been replacing burned-out streetlights as requested. She reminded the board that the city pays a flat monthly rate for streetlight, regardless of how many are out, so it is in the city’s best interest to have all lights operational. Commissioners and citizens are encouraged to notify City Hall when lights are out so repairs can be requested.

Police Chief Wilson submitted a written report for City Manager Duren to present to the board. There were no reported incidents over the Halloween weekend. New patrol procedures were implemented in and around Long Rider Lane, Hideout Hollow, and the one-mile jurisdiction outside corporate limits, including the James Ridge area behind the prison. The increased patrol has disrupted or stopped trafficking of drugs, narcotics, and contraband in that area for now. 2025 inservice training for officers was completed and will be sent to the Tennessee POST Commission. POST supplemental pay requests will be submitted when the window opens. The department will participate in Tennessee Highway Safety Office campaigns through the Christmas holidays, focusing on additional patrols and traffic safety enforcement. Mayor Staggs voiced support for keeping prison-related criminal activity out of town and expressed appreciation for the department’s efforts.

Karin Paparelli, Strategic Planning Director, stated she is working with Chief Wilson to finalize appeal processes and enforcement procedures, and she hopes to have a completed draft of the zoning ordinance by the end of the calendar year.

Fire Chief Chilcott stated he is working closely with the city manager on the Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant that was approved earlier in the meeting. He noted that through the Get Alarmed Tennessee program, the department has received 60 smoke detectors at no cost through a state grant. Citizens needing smoke detectors can email the fire department and schedule an appointment for firefighters to install the smoke detectors free of charge. He also relayed that if all 60 are used, the department can apply for additional detectors.

Eddie Simmons, Parks and Recreation Director, stated the pedestrian bridge for the park has been built and is ready to install. He informed the board that they have been bushhogging and trimming trees and brush around the park.

James Evans, Public Works Director, stated that if weather permits, work will begin next week on sidewalk repairs along Water Street with help from Parks and Recreation. He stated that he had been in contact with Ricky Oakley of CEC, who is working on the Elm Street pumping station, and will also be working on the ballpark lighting. They anticipate a coordination meeting for the lighting project next week. Mr. Evans noted that natural gas public surveys had been mailed out, and residents are requested to complete and return them to City Hall.

Mr. Evans gave a brief overview of the existing water treatment process and the new plant design. He stated that a field trip was being planned for the commissioners to tour both the existing plant and the construction site.

Main Street Director Shawnee Iacono told the board that the combined Rotary/City of Clifton Community Thanksgiving Meal was a success. The event served large numbers of citizens, and food was fully utilized. She said the Fall Festival and Chili Cook-Off organized by the Chamber were very successful, with positive feedback and strong participation.

Ms. Iacono said the city had been awarded $97,500 under a Main Street grant. She notified the board that preparations were continuing for the Stroll Through Christmas Past, taking place on December 13.

Public comments were next on the agenda. It was noted that residents may use ordinary garbage bags for recycling, but they should be labeled as such. Staff will be checking inventory of the remaining blue recycling bins left over from a previous grant.

It was mentioned that Clifton has an existing dog park, but it is not widely known, and there are currently no physical addresses assigned for the dog park, the river park, and the new water plant. City Manager Duren will obtain addresses so that locations can be properly listed on Google and GPS services.

The city’s grant-funded Main Street audio/speaker system has suffered multiple lightning strikes and is currently unreliable. Main Street Director Iacono mentioned that comparable replacement systems can cost up to $30,000. It was discussed to have something simple to allow Christmas music to be played during the Stroll.

Commissioner Francis expressed a desire to prioritize stabilizing the Tennessee Riverbank/marina area and beautification over new equipment such as a dump truck.

Commissioner Thompson discussed honoring the late Fred Gillham and recognizing the historic cotton gin, which predates the city and played a key role in Clifton’s founding. Ideas included a historical marker or memorial plaque at the cotton gin site. It was noted that staff would work on concepts to bring back to the board,

With no further business to come before the commission, the meeting was adjourned.