The York County Board of Supervisors will field comments from the public at their Tuesday meeting regarding proposed changes to the county’s Solid Waste Ordinance.
The board voted earlier this year to nix the use of tax dollars to fund the recycling service, according to a memo outlining the proposed changes. York County Administrator James O. McReynolds issued a Sept. 24 memo outlining recommended changes to the ordinance.
In the memo, McReynolds discusses proposed changes including combining the waste services fee with a new fee for recycling, which would result in a monthly charge of $18.50. That price falls on the lower end of the spectrum for solid waste services in the area, which range from $18.42 to $36.36 monthly, according to the memo.
The fee increase is necessary due to a rise in cost for the county, according to a Nov. 6 memo from McReynolds. It is estimated that in Fiscal Year 2013, the county will incur costs of $1,173,000 for the recycling program—the majority of this figure coming from labor and fuel expenses—which necessitates the switch to a paid structure instead of the current system, where the county pays for recycling services with tax dollars, according to the Nov. 6 memo.
In addition to making the recycling service available along with the county’s solid waste pick up program, the memo outlines recommended changes including the county providing larger wheeled containers for recycling and a move to picking up recycling every other week instead of the current weekly system. Solid waste pickup would remain a weekly endeavor.
The proposed changes do not affect the different recycling services offered by the county. Curbside pickup, household chemical/electronics/computer disposal, composting and leaf collection would all still be available, according to the memo.
The proposed changes also call for a $1.50 increase in the monthly fee for solid waste collection, according to the Nov. 6 memo. The cost of collection and disposal of residential garbage has climbed by 30.6 percent since the initial contract started over seven years ago.
In order to keep up with the increased volume of recyclables that would result in an every-other-week pick-up schedule, the proposed changes call for 96-gallon wheeled recycling containers to be issued to county residents who participate in the program, according to the Nov. 6 memo.
If citizens are unable to attend the public hearing, they may write comments to the Board of Supervisors at P.O. Box 532, Yorktown, Va., 23690-0532. They may also call 890-3220 and leave their name, address and a brief message. E-mails are being accepted at bos@yorkcounty.gov
The public hearing will take place in the Board Room of York Hall at 7 p.m.
