Brockport discussing trash at public hearing

Brockport discussing trash at public hearing

A proposal set forth by Village of Brockport Trustee David Wagenhauser to look at various ways to deal with the residents' trash will be the subject of a public hearing Monday, March 6. This will be the second hearing on the topic.

"I've been looking into the advantages and disadvantages of changing the way the village offers trash pick up," Wagenhauser said. "We've developed a timeline to put contracts out for bid to the haulers."

What's needed before the village can come back to the residents with a firm proposal are the number of residents that will "opt-out" of the village's trash collection plan. "We're going to offer options from a couple of different carriers and residents can also choose to utilize Sweden's recycling center," he said.

Governments are faced with so many increasing expenses which are beyond their control in such non-discretionary expenses as fuel, retirement and healthcare and Wagenhauser said municipalities need to find creative ways to save residents money. "This trash hauling proposal will not only save residents money but also address quality of life issues - such as too early in the morning trash pick up," he said.

The proposed procedure/service for village-wide trash pick up would see refuse collection companies bidding on a contract prepared by the village. The winning bidder would provide service to either the entire village or one or more village "districts" that would be developed, Wagenhauser said. The village would bill residents, either on the current water billing system or separately.

Wagenhauser said other neighboring municipalities have experienced significant success, and savings for residents by providing this type service. The municipalities include: Orleans County, Brighton and Churchville.

At the public hearing, Wagenhauser will outline the advantages to the bidding process which will include: lowered costs to residents/business; less wear on village streets (only one truck per street), which would prolong the life of streets and infrastructure; trash cans at street only one day per week, as opposed to two or three days per week; the ability to place more/different items at the curb; and a reduction or elimination of $12,000+ the village pays annually for refuse collection.

"The main advantage of the plan is financial," he said. "Experience from other governments has demonstrated about a 50 percent reduction in rates to about $13-14/month or a savings of about $150 per year to most residents."

Part of the proposal includes an "opt out" plan for those who wish to utilize Sweden's recycling center. "A resident could opt out of this program and dispose of their refuse in any (legal) manner, as long as it does not consist of a refuse company other than the designated one," he said. Those who opt out will not be charged for the service.

Wagenhauser said the village is also looking into offering "senior" discounts.

From the timeline that has been established, including the public hearing to village board approval, to put trash collection out to bid, receiving contracts back, approving bids and turning the "districts" over could potentially take a year, he said.

The public hearing will begin at 8 p.m. as part of the village's regular board meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Sweden Senior Center.