Though the number of residents who chose to opt out would have made the price slightly higher, the Centerville City Council recently approved a recycling contract for FY 2009-2010 that keeps the monthly charge to residents at $3.50. ACE agreed to honor the lower price for the program, which is expected to start either September or October 1 of this year.
“It will take some time to order and distribute the containers, as well as educate customers about the recycling guidelines,” said Centerville City Manager Steve Thacker.
In addition to door-to-door service, there will also be recycling containers placed at city hall, the public works building, the parks and recreation building, several city parks, Whitaker Museum, the cemetery, the Ricks Creek Pumphouse, and the Davis Cultural Arts Center (currently under construction).
Nearly 20 percent of residents receiving garbage service chose to opt out of the program during the city’s posted opt-out period, which was held from April 20 to May 27. Prices of opt-out programs are based on a sliding scale of how many residents are still participating, and previously determined levels had established that an opt-out rate of about 17 percent would lead to the $3.50 cost.
The opt-out period also served as a test to see whether or not the program was viable. Before it began, the city council established that they would have reconsidered moving ahead with the program if more than 25 percent of those receiving garbage service chose to opt out. The information about opting out was posted on the city’s website, www.centervilleut.net, and all affected residents received a direct mailer before the beginning of the opt-out period.
The city received a considerable amount of feedback from those both for and against curbside recycling, with the greatest consensus being that the program shouldn’t be mandatory.
“We feel, as do many of our neighbors, that the proposal has merit but should not be mandatory,” wrote residents Dean and Janet Harris in an e-mail to the city. “If there are citizens that want to have these items picked up, they should pay for that service and not require others to subsidize such a program.”
The city council also approved the garbage collection contract with ACE disposal for FY 2009-2010. As part of the contract, the fees for both the first and second garbage cans have increased slightly – the price for the first can will go up from $10.66 to $10.91, and the price for the second can has gone up from $7.61 to $8.50. Though the city knew about the cost increase for both cans earlier this year, the price jump for the second can was slightly higher than had initially been expected.
jwardell@davisclipper.com
Post a Comment
