Muscle Shoals, Alabama

FAQ

    1.  I have paid my deposit for the utility services to be turned on at my residence. How do I receive a new garbage container?
    2.  My garbage container needs repairs. What do I do?
    3.  I am opening a new business and will need garbage collection. Will my business meet the criteria for the Public Works Dept. to collect my garbage?
    4.  What will be the schedule for garbage and brush/trash for the current holiday?
    5.  How often do I receive garbage collection?
    6.  How often do I receive brush/trash collection?
    7.  What is the monthly cost for collection of my garbage or brush/trash?
    8.  I am interested in applying for a position with the Public Works Department. How do I do this?
    9.  The storm drain is clogged and flooding my yard. Will the Street Department unstop the drain for me?
    10.  I would like to have drainage pipe installed in my yard. What is the process for this?
    11.  There is a pothole in the road. Will the street department repair this?
    12.  There is a dead animal in front of my house. Am I responsible for the removal of the animal?
    13.  I am experiencing an excessive amount of mosquitoes. What can I do to help the situation?
 
    Q.  I have paid my deposit for the utility services to be turned on at my residence. How do I receive a new garbage container?
    A.  Contact the Public Works Dept. (The Electric Dept. will not contact us for you.) If there is not an existing container at the residence a new container will be delivered by one of our employees.

    Q.  My garbage container needs repairs. What do I do?
    A.  Contact the Public Works Dept. Place the container at the curb in the same manner as when garbage is collected. An employee of the department will come to the residence and repair the container. If the container is unrepairable a new container will be delivered.

    Q.  I am opening a new business and will need garbage collection. Will my business meet the criteria for the Public Works Dept. to collect my garbage?
    A.  As long as the business does not generate more than 18.8 cubic yards of refuse a week.

    Q.  What will be the schedule for garbage and brush/trash for the current holiday?
    A. 

A holiday schedule is mailed annually the week before Memorial Day in May.  Please refer to your schedule or contact the Public Works Department for this information between the hours of 6:00 am and 2:30 p.m. Telephone: 256-386-9250.



    Q.  How often do I receive garbage collection?
    A.  Residential - Once per week - Call for collection days for your area.   Commercial - Once a week - Thursday

    Q.  How often do I receive brush/trash collection?
    A.  Once a week - for residential collection only. The department runs a regularly scheduled route for each area of the City and it is followed each week. Contact the Public Works Dept. for the scheduled day for your area.

    Q.  What is the monthly cost for collection of my garbage or brush/trash?
    A.  Residential Brush/Trash - $17.75 per month and $5.00 for an extra container
Commercial - A flat rate of $29.95 for the first container. Any extra container will be billed at a rate of $12.00 per container up to three containers.


    Q.  I am interested in applying for a position with the Public Works Department. How do I do this?
    A.  Any job opening will be advertised for two consecutive weeks in the local newspaper. All applications will be distributed for City Hall and must be returned to City Hall. There are no applications given out unless there is an opening in the department.

    Q.  The storm drain is clogged and flooding my yard. Will the Street Department unstop the drain for me?
    A.  Contact the Public Works Dept. The Street foreman will check the problem and determine how to relieve the obstruction.

    Q.  I would like to have drainage pipe installed in my yard. What is the process for this?
    A.  Contact the Public Works Dept. Give the address and any pertinent information needed for determining the amount, size, and type of pipe that will be needed. Someone from the department will contact you with the cost. The full cost must be paid in full before the job may begin and will need to be paid at City Hall at the City Clerk's office.

    Q.  There is a pothole in the road. Will the street department repair this?
    A.  There is a crew from the street department that "patches" periodically. Contact the Public Works Dept. and give the address or area that is in need of repair.

    Q.  There is a dead animal in front of my house. Am I responsible for the removal of the animal?
    A.  The Public Works Dept. will send a truck for the removal of the dead animal. The department will remove animals that are on the City right of way only and is not responsible for any dead animal on private property.

    Q.  I am experiencing an excessive amount of mosquitoes. What can I do to help the situation?
    A.  Storm Drainage sprays for mosquitoes once a week, but there are actions you can take to decrease the amount of mosquitoes on your property and/or your neighbor's property. Here is some helpful information when trying to avoid an excessive amount of mosquitoes...
*The following items are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes: standing water, buckets, bottles (They can lay their eggs in as little as a bottle cap of water!), cans, bird baths, flower pots and vases, pet dishes and water bowls, unmaintained swimming pools, uncovered boats, children's toys and wading pools, clogged roof gutters and drains, yard debris (e.g., grass clippings, thick vegetation, raked leaves), tree holes, old tires, trashcan lids, grill covers, etc. The most common of these being standing water, yard debris, clogged gutters and drains, and water for animals and birds.
*The following items can reduce mosquito breeding sites on your property: discard or overturn any unused containers that can hold water, change the water in bird baths and outdoor vases at least weekly, keep swimming pools clean and properly maintained, change the water in pet dishes frequently, store children's toys under cover where they will not collect water, change the water in children's wading pools frequently, clean out gutters regularly, keep boats drained or covered so they will not collect water, fill tree holes that collect water with sand or mortar, store old tires under cover or dispose of properly, and repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.