CAIRO — Along with the approval of different properties, the Cairo City Council approved the annual memorandum with Archway Partnership and discussed the city’s landfill with a hopeful for the city’s mayoral seat. 

Betsy McGriff, Grady County’ s Archway professional, said the goal for requesting entities to sign the memorandum was to be able to send the signatures to the University of Georgia as soon as possible. 

With the signing of the memorandum, the City of Cairo committed to fund $10,000 toward the community fee for the 2018 fiscal year.  

The Grady County Board of Commissioners signed the annual memorandum at the March 7 meeting. 

The council also briefly discussed Cairo’s landfill. 

Booker Gainor, a hopeful for the city’s mayor seat, said he researched Hawaii purchasing a grinder for a landfill. According to Gainor, the grinder purchase reduced landfill volume by 75 percent. 

Gainor also questioned what would happen to the landfill’s workers. 

Cairo City Manager Chris Addleton said he would think a new company would hire the current crew, but would be the company’s decision. 

“We really need to get out of the landfill business,” Addleton said. 

A track loader purchase, which was approved at a February council meeting, was discussed to give around three years left on the city’s landfill. 

Addleton also discussed possibly privatizing the city’s solid waste. 

Council member Jerry Cox noted the prospect of privatizing. 

“Once you’re committed, you’re committed,” he said. “This is something we really want to mull over.”  

Mayor pro tem Ernest Cloud added if the prospect of privatizing is bid out to require the company to use the landfill. 

The council gave Addleton census to tentatively start seeking bids for privatization in early April. 

Other action taken at meeting: 

•approval of mayor to sign intergovernmental agreement for asset purchase and intergovernmental operating agreement for CNS consolidation 

•approval of January financial report 

•approval of special event permit for New Grady Missionary Baptist Association 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.