The News-Gazette.com: Danville residents have time to comment on recycling proposal

Danville residents have time to comment on recycling proposal

By Tracy Moss

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:06 AM CDT

DANVILLE – Residents in Danville have until Saturday to express their opinion to city officials about whether they would like a curbside recycling program.

Residents can go to the city's Web site to fill out a survey or pick up a survey at the municipal building, 17 W. Main St. in Danville. The Web site is www.cityofdanville.org.

Earlier this year, city officials were planning to create multiple drop-off recycling sites around the city until the county announced that it would be ending its drop-off recycling program, effective Oct. 31. The county program has seven drop-off sites around the county, including one on East Main Street in Danville. The city was going to add its own drop-off sites within the city but instead decided to consider a curbside program that would ensure that only city residents participate in the recycling program.

Doug Ahrens, Danville public works director, said the city would need at least 1,200 residents and a five-year commitment to launch a curbside recycling program. So far, the city has about 350 completed surveys.

At the minimum of 1,200 participants, it would cost each $10.75 a month for the first year. That cost would increase 50 cents per month in the second year, 25 cents per month the third year and 50 cents per month in years four and five.

If 1,500 sign up, then the first year's monthly cost would drop to $8.75 and to $3.50 if 5,000 sign up. Currently, the city serves 11,500 households for garbage pickup.

Ahrens said the monthly recycling fee would include each participant getting a 64-gallon container that would be picked up every two weeks, and that single container would handle all recyclables, including paper, aluminum cans and appropriate plastics. Recyclers would not have to sort.

Ahrens said it's not been determined yet whether corrugated cardboard could be one of the items, but Advantage Recycling west of Danville already accepts that material.

Once the survey period is complete, Ahrens said, the topic will be taken to the city council's public works committee for discussion at the November meeting. If the city moves forward with the program, Ahrens said it would probably be launched in the spring.

If the city doesn't pursue curbside recycling, Ahrens said, Danville would probably not revert to drop-off sites because the city would be bearing the cost of recycling from people who would drop off material from outside the city.

"There is no current ability to limit those (bins) to our customers," he said. "We would not expect our customers to bear the cost."

Monthly costs, per subscriber, of a curbside recycling program in Danville.

Danville needs at least 1,200 subscribers to launch a curbside program, and residents can express their interest by filling out a survey at www.cityofdanville.org.

Number of subscribers Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

1,200 $10.75 $11.25 $11.50 $12.00 $12.50

1,500 $8.75 $9.00 $9.25 $9.50 $9.75

2,500 $5.25 $5.50 $5.75 $6.00 $6.25

5,000 $3.50 $3.75 $4.00 $4.25 $4.50

11,500 $2.25 $2.50 $2.75 $3.00 $3.25