FAIRHOPE, Ala. - The City Council will consider Monday whether to keep the city landfill open and allow it to increase another 30 feet in height, according to a garbage advisory committee.

That decision would reverse a decision to close the “construction and demolition” made about a year ago and announced to the public last February, according to Public Works Director Jennifer Fidler.

“The neighborhood is under the assumption we’re closing it,” City Administrator Gregg Mims said at the Wednesday committee meeting, referring to the neighborhood south and east of the landfill on South Section Street. “We need to let them know. The council needs to allocate some money to plant a buffer there.”

Fidler explained that the decision to close the C&D landfill was based on the thought that the landfill had reached capacity according to federal and state environmental laws and regulations.

But the decision was reached without first obtaining an engineer’s opinion, she said.

During the process of closing the landfill last year after the announcement was made, an engineering firm informed Fidler that the landfill was not at its legal capacity and could increase another 40 feet in height.

Such an increase in height would give the city 20 more years of use and save money by not having to send C&D waste to other landfills, she said. Increasing the height by 20 feet would give another 10 years of use.

“It’s already pretty high,” said Fidler, who recommended that the landfill be kept open and allowed to increase 20 feet.

Councilman Lonnie Mixon, who attended the meeting but is not on committee, suggested an increase of 30 feet, which the committee adopted by a unanimous vote and will recommend at the Jan. 10 council meeting.

The members voting for that recommendation were Committee Chairman Councilman Mike Ford, Fidler, Ron Heveran and Charlie Smith. Three other members of the committee were not present.

The committee also voted to recommend that the council approve a tree-lined or vegetative buffer be planted along the southern and eastern borders of the landfill.

Residents of those neighborhoods that include Kirkman Lane, New Era Road and Bell Road complained about six years ago about plans to increase the size of the landfill, Fidler said. The city decided at that time not to increase its size.

“We’ve got to do something for the people who live there,” Mims said. “We wouldn’t want to live next to that.”

Fidler said no additional public hearings are required regarding any decision by the council to keep the landfill open and to increase its size, adding the city will follow all requirements of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management during the process.

The council meets at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, instead of at its normal 6 p.m. meeting time. to accommodate those who want to view the BCS National Championship Game.