Recycling to shift to every other week in city

Talk about it

WORTHINGTON — There will be some changes to the recycling program in Worthington effective in October following action taken Monday night by the Worthington City Council.

A new five-year contract between the city and Schaap Sanitation for residential solid waste/recycling collection was approved unanimously by council members, with a couple of significant changes slated for recycling. The green recycling containers currently used will be replaced with a 95-gallon cart, while the collection of recyclables will be switched to every other week.

Schaap’s Eric Joens explained Monday that the 95-gallon carts will be the same as the dark grey carts now used for solid waste, with the exception of a green color. The switch to an every-other-week collection would begin by Oct. 1.

Reasons cited for the changes are promoting an increase in the number of reyclables being collected, providing a large closed container to eliminate the program of recyclables being blown around on streets during high winds, and eliminating the need to carry the current containers to the curb line, since the new carts will be on wheels.

Schaap will be responsible for the total cost to purchase and distribute the containers to each residential household. It will also be responsible for the replacement of the cart unless the cart is damaged due to negligence of the property owner.

“We have consistently increased the materials going into the recycling stream,” Joens told the council.

“We’re very excited to roll out this program,” he added, explaining that he expects the new carts will add further to recycling efforts while lowering costs for solid waste collection.

Schaap will not request an increase in the service fee for the first year of the new agreement. Currently, monthly costs are $17.19 per 95-gallon solid waste customer and $3.43 per recycling customer.

In an unrelated matter, the council — on a 4-1 vote — approved a request for a permit in order to place a private dock across from 1977 S. Shore Drive. The request came from Jenny Andersen and Arturo Martinez, who reside at the residence.

During discussion, Mayor Alan Oberloh urged council members to reconfigure the rates for private docks. “I see it (dock) as an amenity … you allow a property to be enhanced in its value,” Oberloh said.

Alderman Ron Wood quickly indicated his intention to vote against the permit for the boat/dock lift.

“We have … precedent setting just by how we’ve done things, with nothing on the books,” Wood said. “Unless the council comes up with a plan, I don’t want to see 90 docks, or 100 docks. How do we deny anybody from putting a dock in with the system we have now?”

Alderman Lyle Ten Haken later suggested a six-month moratorium on dock permits be added to a motion approving the permit for Anderson and Martinez — a motion later made by Alderman Mike Woll after council voted down an earlier motion made by Wood without the moratorium provision.

Oberloh warned council members that any new policy on dock permits be clear.

“If we can’t get this fixed in six months, we’ve failed the system,” he said.

In additional business, the council:

* Tabled action on a revised cooperative agreement with District 518 on the eight new tennis courts to be constructed at Worthington Middle School.

Under the current language of the eight-year agreement, the city is to contribute $235,000 toward the project’s cost. But some councilmen wondered what would happen once the deal comes to an end.

“I look at the contract saying that it’s for eight years, and if we want to hold a city-wide tournament we have a right to do that,” Wood said.

“I just think it’s a bad deal —we put $235,000 into eight years of tennis and then we’re out,” Ten Haken said.

City Administrator Craig Clark planned to clarify the language with the school district, then bring it back to council to see what action it desired.

* Heard a 2010 comprehensive annual financial report from Wayne Drealan of Turbes, Drealan, Kvilhaug, Hoefker & Co., who gave the city a “clean, unqualified audit opinion.”

* Recognized the Worthington High School boys’ 4x400-meter track team for winning a state championship Saturday at the Class A track and field meet in St. Paul. Relay team members Jeremy Clark, Will Collin, and OJ Ojullu were present.

Tags: city council, news, recycling, worthingon