Ridgewood budget hearing flags sharp recycling disposal costs and grant offsets

At the Jan. 26 Ridgewood budget hearing, recycling and sanitation officials told the council that disposal and commingled recycling costs have risen sharply and that multiple grant offsets will affect the final budget figures.

Sean Hamlin, the recycling coordinator and supervisor of sanitation, said the recycling division expects higher disposal costs driven by market changes: "the cost of commingled is projected to exceed $50,000 based on the current market and disposal fees for us this year." He explained that revenue from paper and cardboard has not been offsetting the cost of commingled materials like bottles and cans.

Staff also noted that the budget presented shows salaries and wages gross of expected grant offsets (recycling tonnage and Clean Communities grants). Hamlin estimated the recycling tonnage grant at about $65,000 and Clean Communities at around $50,000, but council members asked staff to confirm actual award amounts before the budget is finalized.

On sanitation and solid‑waste staffing, officials said overtime assumptions and some restorations of prior cuts explain much of the year‑to‑year increases; staff also noted internal promotion possibilities that could shift costs between divisions. Councilmembers asked for clearer reconciliation of grant offsets, trust balances, and year‑end numbers before finalizing the appropriation.

What happens next: staff will confirm grant awards and year‑end trust balances; council said those numbers will be used to refine the budget before formal introduction.