The Centerville City Council is currently in negotiations with ACE disposal to start what is currently being planned as an opt-out curbside recycling program for the entire city. The program, in which residents would automatically be signed up unless they formally take action to be removed, was done in response to what the council feels has been a largely supportive response from residents.
“I am excited that Centerville City is taking a more proactive approach to recycling,” reads an e-mail sent to the council by Centerville resident Mickelle Steimle in response to a request for feedback on the issue. The response was also mostly positive from the residents who attended a public hearing on the topic earlier this month. “It is our responsibility to care for the environment around us and make it a better future for the ones who will come after us.”
Though Centerville City Mayor Ronald Russell said that the majority of e-mails the city received have been in favor of the program, there have been some residents who have either written or spoken out against the program. Most of these negative comments have been in opposition to having to pay one more mandatory fee to the city. Because of this, the council will begin by focusing negotiations on an opt-out program rather than the initially proposed mandatory program.
“The issue here is not whether recycling is good,” reads an e-mail sent to the council by Maureen Huffaker, another Centerville resident. “The issue is taxing and forcing citizens to do something that only a minority wants.”
Though the opt-out program would give residents the opportunity to stop participating in curbside recycling if they so chose, there is also a chance that it will increase the fees required by those who choose to stay in the program. Early estimates have put the possible fee around $3 if the entire city participates, an amount that would increase with every person that chooses to drop out of the program.
The money, however, might not be a problem. Several resident have expressed that they would be willing to pay as much as $5 for the program, leaving a comfortable window of functionality.
“I would be thrilled to be paying even $6 or $7,” wrote Centerville resident Vickie Dimond. “We have asked for curbside recycling for years.”
Though the contract will likely still take about two months to negotiate, pushing the official start of the program to January at the earliest, ACE disposal has offered to set up temporary recycling bins for Centerville residents. For that to happen, however, ACE and the council would have to work out an appropriately secure spot for the bins to be located.
“I feel that a recycling program is the responsible thing to do,” said Mayor Russell. “We’ve been talking about it for three years as a council. It’s time to get started.”
jwardell@davisclipper.com
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