It was announced at a recent Kimberly City Council meeting that Jeff Gilliland has stepped down from his (planning and zoning) position on the council.

“Jeff wanted to let everyone know that he enjoyed his time here, but it just wasn’t working out—didn’t feel like he could dedicate the time with his new schedule,” said Kimberly Mayor Bob Ellerbrock. “I think he did a great job while he was here and I have expressed my hope that he will stay involved in the city because he’s a great guy and has a lot to contribute.”

That move became effective in April. Gilliland began serving on the council in Kimberly in 2017. Kimberly has 90 days to fill that open seat and according to Ellerbrock, “We have a couple of people that have expressed interest.”

After hearing from Kimberly Fire Chief Brendt Wood about aging equipment in his station, the council voted to purchase a new fire engine for $450,000 along with equipment not to exceed $30,000.

“We put money away three or four years ago for a new truck,” said Ellerbrock.

The oldest truck in Kimberly’s fleet is 23 years old and the newest is 13.

Kimberly opened the council meeting by addressing a problem the city has experienced with garbage pickup. Residents have voiced complaints about missed and delayed garbage pickups by Waste Pro USA, who sent two representatives to answer for these missteps Monday night.

“… the only complaint I have is when the garbage can is in the middle of my driveway,” wrote one resident on Facebook. “When traffic is behind me when pulling into my driveway, I have to just push the can out of the way with my truck to get out of the way of traffic.”

“Yes, mine was suppose to be picked up today and, of course, it wasn’t,” wrote another.

Ellerbrock called for more consistency, as his experience with the company has diminished over the last six months or so. One representative pointed to a lack of dependability with the companies’ trucks. Waste Pro USA is expecting a new truck for the Kimberly route, but is unsure when that truck will arrive.

Those representatives assured the council their performance will “get back to where it needs to be.”