Town decides against curbside waste pickup

March 09, 2006|by TIFFANY ARNOLD

SMITHSBURG - There will be no curbside yard waste pickup for Smithsburg residents during the spring, summer and early fall, the town council decided Tuesday.

At its monthly meeting, the Smithsburg Town Council unanimously decided against adopting a curbside pickup program for yard waste.

The decision will affect the current budget and next year's budget, Smithsburg Mayor Mildred "Mickey" Myers said.

The town decided to consider alternative removal options - ranging from designating a site where residents may deposit yard waste to turning the waste into mulch.

Myers said the alternatives would require more time and study, and said that it would take months to enact them.

Peck's Refuse Disposal LLC currently handles the town's trash. The town's contract with the company does not include yard waste removal.

It would cost the town about $5,700 for twice-a-month curbside pickup for the remainder of the current budget year, which ends June 30, Myers said.

Once-a-month trash pickup from April through November would cost about $7,600, Myers said.

Myers said twice-monthly pickups for an entire budget year would cost $15,200 - an option the council chose not to consider.

"I'm not in favor of paying all this money to haul it all away," councilman Jerome Martin said.

Smithsburg residents pay a monthly fee of $13.87 per unit for trash removal.

The town also is finalizing plans for bulk trash pickup, scheduled for April 29.

Town officials have asked residents not to dispose of building materials. Batteries, items containing Freon and other hazardous materials also will be prohibited. Appliances must be placed in a separate box, town officials said.

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