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Wellsville council adopts 5.1% increase to curbside garbage and green-waste rates
Summary
After a public hearing, the Wellsville City Council approved a resolution adopting a 5.1% increase in curbside garbage and curbside green-waste collection rates to reflect Waste Management’s contractual inflation adjustment; the council said the increase is being passed to users rather than absorbed by the city.
Wellsville City Council approved a resolution on Dec. 4 adopting a 5.1% increase to curbside garbage collection and curbside green-waste service after a public hearing and staff presentation.
City staff explained the change stems from an annual rate review by the contractor, Waste Management, and from a county process that sets requirements for a recycling container. Speaker 1 told the council Waste Management raised its rates effective Oct. 1 and the city had not had adequate time to pass the costs along before the increase took effect. "They have the right, according to their contract, to" adjust for inflation and related costs, Speaker 5 said during the hearing.
The council discussed specific changes residents will see. Staff summarized typical new monthly charges: the 90-gallon container will be $17 (up from $16), the 60-gallon will be $16 (up from $15), the recycling fee will be $5.50, and an additional regular can will cost $9 (up from $8.25). Staff also noted certain service fees have risen: a container exchange is $48 and delivery or removal charges can be $27; swapping a green can for a black can could total about $54 when both fees apply. Speaker 5 noted some residents may prefer to transport containers to the transfer facility themselves to avoid certain fees.
Several council members observed that passing the increase to users avoids the city absorbing the added expense. "We're just passing on the increase back to the users," Speaker 4 said while the council considered the resolution. A motion to adopt the 5.1% increase was made by Speaker 6 and seconded by Speaker 3; the council voted in favor (no roll-call tally recorded in the transcript).
The council and staff also answered procedural questions from residents about can ownership and replacements. Staff said Waste Management owns the cans it provided (some labeled for Logan City) and that Waste Management will replace them over time. Speaker 2 noted the county dictated the recyclable-can requirement and Waste Management sets the collection pricing under its contract.
Votes at a glance: - Motion to approve the agenda — moved by Speaker 5, second Speaker 6; approved (transcript shows unanimous voice assent; no tally). - Payment approval report (11/2024) — moved by Speaker 6, second Speaker 5; approved. - Accounts payable report (Dec. 4, 2024) — moved by Speaker 5, second recorded as "second" in transcript; approved. - Resolution adopting 5.1% rate increase for curbside garbage and green-waste collection — moved by Speaker 6, second Speaker 3; approved.
The council did not record a roll-call tally in the provided transcript for the resolution. The resolution instructs staff to apply the adjusted rates to customer bills per the terms laid out by the city and the Waste Management contract. The city did not specify an effective date in the hearing other than that Waste Management’s increase took effect Oct. 1; residents were told to monitor subsequent utility bills for the adjusted amounts.
