Sellersburg council begins process to reconsider residential trash-collection fees

Sellersburg town staff presented council members with a detailed breakdown of the town’s residential trash-collection costs and recommended beginning the ordinance process to revise the monthly per-can charge. Charlie (staff member) told the council the town currently bills $10 per can per month and that the town’s disposal cost per can is "$13.43," producing annual expenses and a shortfall. Charlie said the town’s system is built on an assumption of 3,956 cans in service and presented an annual disposal-expense figure of "$637,006.00 4" and described a current revenue shortfall of about "$162,000" at the $10 rate. Charlie outlined two scenarios: keeping the current fleet and lease configuration or adding a second lease. He said adding a second lease would increase per-can disposal cost; in his spreadsheet the collection/disposal per-can weekly cost currently shown as "$2.31" and with certain changes would rise to about "$3.27" (bringing an annual charge closer to $170) and with an added lease could reach about "$3.65" weekly per can. He also noted that if the town added a second lease it would move from one leased vehicle toward owning two vehicles over time, and that the older 2012 truck has growing transmission and maintenance issues. Council members discussed operational details (warranty, lids theft, serial numbers on cans) and communication plans. Council instructed staff to draft an ordinance for changes and to consider notifying residents — through an August mailer or a statement with water bills — and to hold a workshop at the council’s first meeting in August for public discussion. Council members said they expect to act on the issue at the second council meeting in August. At the meeting no formal vote was taken on a rate change; the council authorized staff to prepare ordinance language and public outreach.