Trending
FLORENCE -- The Town of Florence held a meeting Monday to update residents and answer questions in regards to the town's transition to automated trash collection.
Town Chairman Tim Bomberg told those in attendance that the town had little choice in going with automated collection, as that is the way the industry is going.
"A little over a year ago we were contacted by Green For Life (GFL Environmental Inc.) that they would be transitioning to the container pickup system and for their services we would have to transition as well," Bomberg said. "We had the garbage sticker system in place but they said they will no longer pick up garbage bags, it will only be by container. They have concerns with their drivers being injured getting in and out of trucks."
The town sought other bids for trash collection and through the competitive process was able to get GFL to come down on their price. A bid from Waste Management was nearly double the price of the GFL bid, town officials said.
The cost of trash collection to the town will be $12.55 per stop. Based on 1,100 stops, probably a high number, the cost to homeowners will be $65 to $75 per year per household. The charge would be on the homeowner's tax bill payable in January 2025.
To control costs, the town will be buying the 95-gallon containers.
Bomberg said the average household produces only one or two bags of trash a week. To lower the number of stops and reduce costs, the town is looking at the possibility of two neighbors sharing a container, or several neighbors using a centrally located 300-gallon container.
Many of those in attendance were part-time residents who were not happy about having to pay an annual fee for a service they won't need year-round. They asked about opting out of the town's trash collection.
Bomberg said that opting out would not be an option.
"What you are going to have happen, you are going to have people think they can take a ride down a back road and flip it out the back of the truck," Bomberg said. "Believe me, it will happen, I have seen it over the years."
Others in attendance were residents who owned multiple properties wondering if they would be charged for each property they owned. Bomberg said that they would, in fact, be charged for each property that receives its own tax bill and has improvements to the land that are capable of producing trash.
In the next couple of weeks the town will start contacting homeowners who may be able to share a container. The town hopes to have the new system in place by the middle of January.
Bomberg also said that the town will continue to operate its large item drop-off.
Jim Paul can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 229, or jpaul@ironmountaindailynews.com.