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Sweden residents speak out in favor of recycling center
"We're willing to pay more" and "We want the recycling center to stay" were the sentiments of the majority at the Sweden public information meeting on January 17. Close to 150 people packed the room to standing room only capacity to voice their opinions and opposition to the town considering closing the recycling center. "We're here to discuss the future of the recycling center and to review the figures and numbers with you," Supervisor Nat O. "Buddy" Lester said. "I've heard from people who weren't going to be able to make it tonight and the overwhelming consensus from those people was to raise the rates to help offset the losses." Councilman Rob Carges presented figures showing that out of the 2,922 households which could use the center, only 384 or 13.1 percent actually do. Out of 1,761 Town of Sweden (outside of village) households, only 259, or 14.7 percent, and out of 1,161 Village of Brockport households (which are also in Sweden), only 125 utilize the center. Losses at the center have ranged from $9,669 to a high of $14,534 (in 2004) annually. The loss for running the center totaled $12,703 in 2005 and there were 60 fewer permits sold in 2005 than in previous years, Carges said. In 2005, personnel expense to run the center was $3,459.88 and contractual expenses were $31,018.45. Total 2005 revenue was $21,775. The idea behind a recycling center in the town began back in 1989 when Mary Anne Pietrzykowski, a former board member, worked with a women's group and set up three trash cans in the Wegman's parking lot to collect recyclable materials. "We collected metal, glass and paper - we were the first recycling center in the town," she said. "One of the groups I was involved in received a $5,000 grant and we used that to open the town's first 'real' recycling center." What's the alternative to the refuse/recycling center that operates on a punch-pass system? Lester offered figures for trash hauling companies Suburban Disposal and Waste Management which ranged from $14 a month to $15.88 bi-monthly. It costs $25 for a pass to use the center and each 32 gallon bag of trash costs one $2.50 punch on the card. Other refuse items, such as tires, are charged $2.50 each. There's no cost to get rid of recyclables at the center but there is a cost per bag for trash. "If we doubled or tripled the price per bag, the residents aren't going to want to pay that," Carges said. Hal Legg said it was clear by the attendance at the meeting that the people value the recycling center. "We should be proud to be one of the three municipalities that offer this service to its residents," he said. There were no figures available as to what a "break even" point would be with number of residents using the service versus costs paid out. Many residents who stood to speak didn't identify themselves but asked why the town doesn't charge more to those who haul in large amounts of trash - like roofing materials. They asked the town to implement a set pay schedule for dropping trash off. Because the town doesn't have a scale to weigh the loads, residents say the prices they are charged seem arbitrary. Nancy Harkins said, "It's not fair to the workers to set the prices or the number of punches charged when people come in to the center. I've seen arguments break out because of the number of punches charged." A number of residents asked why a set fee schedule isn't made available. The problem of people not utilizing the center was thought to be because they simply didn't know it was there. "I have neighbors who don't know we have a recycling center so they just signed up with a trash hauler," one man at the meeting said. Many residents shouted out that the town should pay for advertising or work with the newspapers to get the word out about the center and its prices. Lester told the crowd that the town writes about the center in its newsletter and sent out postcards to the residents to give them notice about the meeting. Julie Lapinski disagreed with the town paying for advertising. "We are all adults and I don't think the town should waste the taxpayer money to advertise," she said. "People in the town don't care enough to come to meetings, they don't read the newsletter. The town should work with the local newspapers to get the word out." Lapinski also disagreed with the calls for raising the prices to use the recycling center. She preferred the town look for other ways to reduce costs. "If you start raising prices people will become 'creative' with getting rid of their trash." No decisions were made at the meeting. Lester said town officials would continue to gather comments before making a decision. January 22, 2006 |