The City Council has backed off directing city public works to station two city employees at a landfill scale operation.
The directive was given after a city audit critical of allowing a private firm to operate the scale and then turn the cash due the city over to city finance.
Public Works Administrator Steve Leach said the cash involved is about $33,000 per year.
He said it would cost about $80,000 per year to man the site with two city employees. He said, "That did not seem like good business to spend $80,000 to guard $33,000.
"
But he said one city employee has been at the site since August.
Public Works officials said there are a number of checks and balances in place to insure that the city is not being cheated on the cash collections by the Santek firm that now operates the scale.
Santek has a landfill nearby. It handles the scale in exchange for being allowed to use the city equipment for its landfill.