News, Waterford

Village sets fees for refuse, recycling

By Dave Fidlin

CORRESPONDENT

Village of Waterford officials have a number of changes in the pipeline for garbage and recycling service in the new year, following a plan that was minted this week.

The Village Board on Nov. 14 adopted a resolution that sets the stage for a new way of collecting fees for the service and acts as a precursor to official adoption of the 2017 operating budget later this month.

At the moment, the village’s contractor picks up garbage and recycling from single-family residents, and fees are covered through the property tax levy.

Beginning in 2017, several changes will be implemented, including an expansion of which classifications of property owners are privy to the service. Early this year, the board decided to bring condo owners into the mix after an argument was made persons in this grouping have been paying for a garbage and recycling contractor through the levy.

The board also backed Village Treasurer Lori Peternell’s recommendation of shifting how the municipality covers the cost of refuse and recycling. Beginning next year, the service will be funded through a special charge on residents’ tax bills, separate from the tax levy itself.

At Monday’s meeting, the board agreed on a fee plan for the special charge. Provisions include:

  • A $102.60 annual charge ($8.55 per month) for weekly refuse pickup in a 48- or 96-gallon cart
  • A $32.39 annual charge ($3.19 per month) for recycling pickup every other week in a 48- or 96-gallon cart
  • A tiered rate plan for refuse containers under a weekly pickup plan: $2,340 annually ($195 monthly) for 8 yards, $1,896 annually ($158 monthly) for 6 yards and $912 annually ($76 monthly) for 2 yards
  • A tiered rate plan for recycling containers under a series of scenarios: $672 annually ($56 monthly) for 6 yards and pickup every other week, $708 annually ($59 monthly) for 2 yards and pickup weekly and $372 annually ($31 monthly) for 2 yards and pickup every other week

In other business this week, the Village Board:

  • Issued Boy Scout Josh Bowser a proclamation for his efforts toward earning an Eagle Scout badge. Earlier this year, Bowser built two large-scale Adirondack chairs that will be used in public spaces.
  • Village Administrator Rebecca Ewald said Bowser’s chairs are currently in storage within the public works garage. Plans are in motion to place them outside in 2017.

The village is in the midst of seeking artists to paint the chairs as part of a larger scale public art campaign that is being rolled out in upcoming years.

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