Rapid City leaders: Fish Garbage case wasn't about money - KOTA Territory News

Rapid City leaders: Fish Garbage case wasn't about money

If you steal from the city you will pay for it. That's the message rapid city leaders wanted to get across at a news conference Wednesday Morning.

The $375,000 settlement may not seem like much -- especially since Fish Garbage was accused of cheating the city out of $900,000 in landfill fees -- but Rapid City Mayor Sam Kooiker says the 2009 investigation uncovered Fish Garbage's dirty practices, which city attorneys say was costing the city about $200,000 a year.

City leaders say the garbage company was dishonest about 3700 hundred loads of trash totaling 12,000 tons. They say Fish Garbage charged their customers normal fees but when it arrived to the landfill company workers claimed the trash was free or reduced waste. City leaders say fish garbage pocketed the difference.

 "We will probably never know for sure how much the city lost but what we do know is now we have an adequate system of checks and balances in place to prevent this kind of situation from happening again," said Mayor Kooiker.

Fish Garbage is required to pay $55,000 immediately in cash.  A third party will pay the remaining $320,000 in eight installments beginning December 20th.