July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Recycling costs stay stable (03/06/2009)
Portland Board of Works
By By RACHELLE HAUGHN-
Rumpke will continue to collect curbside recycling in Portland without a price increase.
Members of the Portland Board of Works agreed Thursday to award a contract renewal to the company, which was the only firm to submit a quote to provide the weekly service.
After some discussion, board members also agreed, for now, to leave the fee for recycling at $3 per month. That fee, which is levied on water/sewer bills, is expected to generate about $1,500 per month less and $18,000 per year less than the service will cost.
The city will pay Rumpke $8,736 per month to collect recycling from 2,400 units. The cost per unit (or household) will be $3.64, which comes out to $104,832 per year. The $3 per month charge generates about $86,000 annually.
The city's recycling fund has a balance of $47,188, and the Jay County Solid Waste District has agreed to subsidize $10,000 of the cost of the city curbside recycling program.
Rumpke was the only company to submit a quote to provide the service.
Board member Bob McCreery raised the issue of the recycling fee, asking if it should be increased.
Randy Geesaman, city clerk-treasurer, said Thursday the city spent about $18,000 more than it collected for recycling in the previous year.
"I wouldn't see any need to pass on the cost" to city residents, said Bruce Hosier, the city's mayor. He suggested the board members think about the matter and make a decision at a future meeting.
In a related matter, board member Bill Gibson asked if recycling collection could be changed to five days a week, every other week, instead of three days each week, to cut costs.
Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent, said the recycling collection trucks are frequently more than three-quarters full. "I still think we need to do it every week," he said.
"We are really at a very high, high level of participation," Hosier said.
In other business Thursday, McCreery asked why the stoplight has not yet been installed at Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive.
Hosier said officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation have had the contract for the work for nearly a year. He said Wal-Mart officials have not given him the reason for the delay, but he expects to hear from them this week.
The project is being paid for by Wal-Mart, the mayor said. "We don't really have any legal authority to make it happen," Hosier said. "Corporate Wal-Mart needs to pull the trigger."
Also Thursday, McCreery asked Hosier about the status of the lease for the former fire station located on North Commerce Street.
The two-year lease-purchase agreement with Glori James-Suarez was approved by the Portland City Council in November of 2006 and has expired. As part of the agreement, James-Suarez has the option to purchase the building for $98,750. The lease payments would be applied toward the purchase price.
She had planned to open a restaurant and banquet facility in the building, but has not done so. She paid all of her monthly payments on time, Hosier said.
Hosier said he and city attorney Bill Hinkle plan to discuss the matter with James-Suarez next week.[[In-content Ad]]
Members of the Portland Board of Works agreed Thursday to award a contract renewal to the company, which was the only firm to submit a quote to provide the weekly service.
After some discussion, board members also agreed, for now, to leave the fee for recycling at $3 per month. That fee, which is levied on water/sewer bills, is expected to generate about $1,500 per month less and $18,000 per year less than the service will cost.
The city will pay Rumpke $8,736 per month to collect recycling from 2,400 units. The cost per unit (or household) will be $3.64, which comes out to $104,832 per year. The $3 per month charge generates about $86,000 annually.
The city's recycling fund has a balance of $47,188, and the Jay County Solid Waste District has agreed to subsidize $10,000 of the cost of the city curbside recycling program.
Rumpke was the only company to submit a quote to provide the service.
Board member Bob McCreery raised the issue of the recycling fee, asking if it should be increased.
Randy Geesaman, city clerk-treasurer, said Thursday the city spent about $18,000 more than it collected for recycling in the previous year.
"I wouldn't see any need to pass on the cost" to city residents, said Bruce Hosier, the city's mayor. He suggested the board members think about the matter and make a decision at a future meeting.
In a related matter, board member Bill Gibson asked if recycling collection could be changed to five days a week, every other week, instead of three days each week, to cut costs.
Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent, said the recycling collection trucks are frequently more than three-quarters full. "I still think we need to do it every week," he said.
"We are really at a very high, high level of participation," Hosier said.
In other business Thursday, McCreery asked why the stoplight has not yet been installed at Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive.
Hosier said officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation have had the contract for the work for nearly a year. He said Wal-Mart officials have not given him the reason for the delay, but he expects to hear from them this week.
The project is being paid for by Wal-Mart, the mayor said. "We don't really have any legal authority to make it happen," Hosier said. "Corporate Wal-Mart needs to pull the trigger."
Also Thursday, McCreery asked Hosier about the status of the lease for the former fire station located on North Commerce Street.
The two-year lease-purchase agreement with Glori James-Suarez was approved by the Portland City Council in November of 2006 and has expired. As part of the agreement, James-Suarez has the option to purchase the building for $98,750. The lease payments would be applied toward the purchase price.
She had planned to open a restaurant and banquet facility in the building, but has not done so. She paid all of her monthly payments on time, Hosier said.
Hosier said he and city attorney Bill Hinkle plan to discuss the matter with James-Suarez next week.[[In-content Ad]]
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