Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 28, 1990 TAG: 9006280101
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Far from wanting to dump the trash, Wesel wanted to make a point about the town's new recycling program, which will start in September.
"I think they're going about this recycling business totally wrong," said the retired Corning Inc. employee.
His bags contained newspaper, glass, aluminum and plastic - all of which he said he's recycled for several years. Last month, he said, he only had one bag of trash for town crews to take to the county dump.
Wesel said he shouldn't be penalized for his recycling efforts by having to pay a $40 fee soon to be added to his garbage collection bill.
But when he asked earlier this week to be dropped from the town's garbage collection service, he was told he could not.
Council recently passed an ordinance increasing garbage collection fees from $61.32 to $101.76 a year.
In return, the town will provide two bins to each household, not including multifamily dwellings, and collect the recyclables at curbside once a week. (The added fee also includes a charge to cover Montgomery County's tipping fee at its landfill.)
The ordinance also says residents cannot drop their garbage collection service, and that any resident currently not using the town's service will be required to join up, Town Manager Ron Secrist said.
Residents will have to pay the fee regardless of whether they use the bins and recycle their newspaper, glass, aluminum and plastic.
"To allow folks to opt out of the system . . . then I think it becomes a real health and safety issue," he said. "Everybody has to participate. It's for the greater good."
The program will help Blacksburg meet state requirements to recycle 25 percent of its waste by 1995, mandated of all localities.
Also, Secrist said, if residents dropped out of the town's collection service, officials could not keep track of solid waste, which might be dumped illegally. And private refuse collectors don't always encourage recycling, he said.
Once the program is running, the town can gauge the volume of trash its handling, Secrist said, and perhaps make adjustments in fees depending on how much garbage each household generates.
But Wesel said the town's new program will be a hardship on lower- and fixed-income residents, many of whom collect recyclables to earn extra cash.
"Somebody who's on a fixed income, that's a $40 hole in the pocket." He said any money earned from recycling centers that pay for materials would be eaten up by the added fee.
"I think the public has a right to know," Wesel said.
Tonight and July 5, on a taped session of "The Town of Blacksburg Report" on WKEX (1430 AM) at 6:05 p.m., Secrist and Public Works Director Adele Schirmer will discuss the curbside recycling program.
On other matters, Town Council made the following appointments, pending acceptance, to the:
Nellies Cave Road Task Force to study the impact of the improvments to the road on the town's streets - Philip Sheldon, Ken Anderson, Hugh Campbell, Robert Rogers, Elizabeth Fine, Charles Schiffert and Waldon Kerns.
Historic District Task Force to continue studying and identifying important features in the Draper Preston historic area - Virginia Hummel, Tom Sherman, Ann Holberton, Gibson Worsham, Louisa Dekker, Frances Paget, Laurie Shepherd.
Council also authorized the town manager to enter into contracts with Hunton & Williams as bond counsel and Scott & Stringfellow as financial advisor for the 1990 Bond Issue.
Also, Council authorized the manager to enter into a contract with Miss Utility of Virginia for services to comply with a General Assembly mandate that requires owners of underground utilities, such as Blacksburg, to join a notification center that coordinates markings of the utilities to reduce damage during construction.
by CNB