Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents press St. Marys council over trash service, recycling access and proposed rate increases
Summary
Residents and committee members raised concerns about dumpster overflow, loss of curbside recycling, uncertain pickup schedules and a proposed $25–$30 monthly rate increase; the solid-waste committee requested more detail from the rate-study presenter and scheduled a follow-up meeting.
Several residents pressed the St. Marys City Council on trash service and proposed rate increases at Monday’s meeting, saying changes to collection and recycling access have left some households without reliable service and others unable to afford higher fees.
A resident who identified his address as 3810 Solana/Salina Road told the council he still has city water and sewer but is unsure who should provide his trash service and where to buy garbage-sticker permits. "Some of the stores said once they run out, they're not gonna get it anymore," he said. Mister Thompson replied, "The stickers are still being sold at the utility office," and offered to take the resident’s contact information for follow-up.
Tiffany Schwartz, who identified herself during public comment, said dumpsters serving a 28-unit apartment complex are frequently overflowing and that curbside recycling stopped when a communal dumpster was installed. "There's trash all over the ground. It's not even up to city code," she said, and added that attempts to reach staff and get clear answers had not produced a solution.
Another resident, identifying himself as Bobby Adams, said a proposed $25–$30 monthly increase in garbage rates would be unaffordable for many residents, particularly those on fixed incomes. "For some people that is a prescription," he said, noting that rural customers who lost service may have shifted the cost burden.
Miss Chilton, reporting on the Solid Waste Committee’s Sept. 15 meeting, emphasized the current rate study is a proposal, not final, and said the committee requested a more detailed breakdown of costs from the study’s presenter. She encouraged public participation at the committee’s next meeting on Oct. 20 at 05:15 in the council chambers so residents can review the data and ask questions.
Staff asked residents with specific problems to provide contact information so staff could investigate individual situations and report back. The council did not take formal action on rates at the meeting; the rate study will return to committee with additional detail before any ordinance or rate change is presented to the full council.
The Solid Waste Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 20 at 05:15 in the council chambers.
