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Middletown advisory commission urges support for 'Save As You Throw' changes as council hearing nears
Summary
Middletown recycling staff and advisory commissioners urged colleagues to attend a Sept. 3 council meeting where a sanitation‑district resolution adjusting the 'Save As You Throw' program will be considered; staff said participation is about 85% but the program needs roughly 95% to be self‑sustaining and the district plans noncompliance fees billed on sanitation statements.
The Middletown Recycling Advisory Commission on Aug. 26 urged members and residents to attend a Sept. 3 common council meeting where a sanitation‑district resolution adjusting the 'Save As You Throw' program is slated for consideration.
Kim O'Rourke, Middletown's recycling coordinator, said the sanitation district commission approved changes but the council tabled action in August; the item will resume at the next council session, which the district has set up with a half‑hour question‑and‑answer period before the council meeting.
"We have about a 85% participation rate, and we really need a 95% participation rate," O'Rourke said, describing the gap the program must close to be self‑sustaining. She said the district plans to bill chronic noncompliance fees on sanitation bills, which are charged to property owners.
Why it matters: The proposed adjustments affect how household trash and recycling are billed and how chronic noncompliance is penalized. O'Rourke said the district must set rates in time to issue bills, and the council's support will determine whether the program moves forward on the timetable the district has set.
Commission members described the practical implications for property owners and tenants. Chair Christina Winston said owners will receive sanitation charges and that tenants lacking control over waste separation may see costs passed through in rent if owners are billed. "If it goes on the sanitation bill, that means it would go to the property owner," Winston said.
O'Rourke explained enforcement would target chronic noncompliance (repeated failures to separate or reduce waste) rather than one‑off mistakes: "If you're chronically not complying ... you get issued a fee, a noncompliance fee, and that will go to your sanitation bill." She encouraged commissioners to attend the Sept. 3 meeting and to be present during the council's pre‑meeting questions to follow the discussion and respond where necessary.
What happens next: The sanitation district commission is meeting to set rates, and the council will reconsider the resolution in early September. The advisory commission asked members to attend in numbers so the council sees constituent support and to help counter repeated public criticisms the commission said have confused council members in past hearings.
