If you're a city resident and your garbage has been piling up recently, well, you can breathe a little easier tonight knowing that garbage collection will be going back to normal on Monday. That's what the councilor responsible for sanitation, Micah Goodin, told us today. Over the past few weeks, CitCo and Belize Waste Control have been at a stalemate because of the council's ever increasing debt. Garbage drums around the city were being neglected and residents never knew when the truck would pass their area, so they had to constantly be on the lookout. But thanks to what we are told is a 6 figure bailout from central government, CitCo will be able to clear about 25% of the 1.4 million dollar debt and the two parties will then have to work on a payment plan for the balance.

In turn, the Waste Control has promised that by next week Friday, all garbage - laden areas of the city will be cleared. Goodin told us the relationship between CitCo and the BWC has always been cordial and he's glad they were able to come to an agreement.

Micah Goodin, Councillor, Sanitation
"Received some financial assistance from the ministry of finance and so with that and the payment schedule we have been able to end this stalemate."

Reporter
"Is it a matter that you were able to pay off the entire debt?"

Micah Goodin, Councilor, Sanitation
"We made a sizeable contribution to the debt. We weren't able to clear it in its entirety, but I think that our efforts and our commitment to the future have been well received by the principals of Belize Waste Control."

Reporter
"So how do you ensure that going forward you are able to keep up with the payments?"

Micah Goodin, Councilor, Sanitation
"As you know our high season comes in November, so I think that we are going to be able to service that debt and other financial obligations that we do have. We have looked at various strategies to improve our collections. I think it is important for the necessary running of the council. We can't operate if we don't have monies to operate, so it is a real situation, we have to look at our strategy, we have to look at how we could improve collections and so that is something that we are doing. We have our technocrats looking and seeing where we can do some improvements. A previous council signed a contract with the principals of Belize Waste Control, it's a contract that is a very difficult one to get out of and so we would rather do our best to try and look at new revenue streams rather than taking on a fight that we are obviously going to lose."

Reliable sources tell us that Government is expected to pay about 300 thousand dollars towards the debt. According to their press release, the assistance from the government came from outstanding taxes that GOB owed on properties they acquired across the city, rather than simply through a free grant, which had been used by the previous UDP council.

Channel 7