City compost center to reduce from 24 to 8 hours per week

The city of Marshall compost center on Division Drive in Marengo Township will no longer have the $14,200 financial support of the Calhoun County Solid Waste Committee due to a budget cut. That's why city officials are going to try to go it alone. But not without a price to users. City officials announced last night that hours of operation at the leased facility will reduce to four hours on Tuesdays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and four hours on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon. For the time being, there remains no cost to Marshall residents to drop off yard waste. Citizens who are not city of Marshall residents will not be permitted to make drop offs though everyone will be permitted to purchase the materials such as wood chips, compost, etc. Call the city of Marshall at 781-5183 for more information. The topic was the subject of a lengthy discussion at the City of Marshall council meeting Monday where the city voted unanimously with two members absent to rescind the contract with the Calhoun County Road Commission, sign a lease agreement with the CCRC and to accept the staff's recommendation for the new hours. See this weekend's Chronicle for more on this story.