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Seward council limits recycling center access to staffed hours amid cost, out‑of‑county use
Summary
City council voted 7-0 to limit public access to the Seward recycling center to hours when city personnel are present after staff reported rising costs, heavy commercial use from neighboring counties and ongoing cleanup problems.
The Seward City Council on a 7-0 vote directed staff to limit access to the municipal recycling center to times when city personnel are present, citing costs, large-volume commercial users from outside the county and recurring dumping and cleanup burdens.
The decision came after an extended discussion led by city staff and Street Superintendent Bob Myers about declining markets for recyclables and growing regional use of Seward’s facility. “We are definitely subsidizing recycling in a 3 county area,” Kelly, a city staff member, told the council, adding that corrugated cardboard made up a large share of the volume from out‑of‑county users.
Why it matters: Councilors said the center is consuming staff time and local resources with little or no revenue, and that unchecked use by businesses and residents from neighboring counties reduces the benefit to Seward taxpayers. Staff reported a recent vendor bill of roughly $2,000 for a single month to haul materials, and estimated the city’s recycling program costs roughly $50,000 annually.
City staff reviewed several problems and possible responses. Staff said they had begun recording license-plate information and other user details to understand where users come from and that large users — including some businesses — regularly bring substantial cardboard and other materials. Myers said the center is currently staffed roughly 20 hours per week, and staff recommended restricting access to when employees are present to reduce illegal dumping and cleanup workload.
Councilors discussed narrower options that staff would draft into a formal policy for later consideration: restricting use to Seward County residents, distinguishing commercial versus residential users, charging a nominal fee for nonresidents similar to how some city services are handled, and submitting hauling bills to the Milford waste program for partial reimbursement. “We could benefit a little bit more by doing that,” Kelly said of submitting bills to Milford; staff said communities that submit bills sometimes recover 25% or more of hauling costs.
Council direction and next steps: The council voted to limit public access to hours when city personnel are on site and asked Kelly to develop a draft policy that would address geographic limits, distinctions between commercial and individual users, and any fees. Staff said proposed regular staffed hours would align with current staffed days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday mornings) and that a final policy will return to the council for approval.
The council’s motion was procedural and focused on immediate operational control; no change to fees or formal restrictions was adopted at the meeting. Council members also noted the program’s long history and urged staff to balance convenience for Seward residents with the need to stop subsidizing heavy commercial use from neighboring counties.
Ending: Staff will draft a policy for council consideration that includes the geographic scope, user categories (commercial vs. residential), and operational hours; the council’s interim action is limited to restricting access to staffed hours.
