Richard Engle, acting director of public works, said the contract includes residential and commercial customers receiving Rumpke-issued 65-gallon wheeled carts with lids for recycling, and 96-gallon wheeled carts with lids for solid waste.
Engle said the carts will be delivered between September and December. The trash will continue to be picked up weekly, but recycling will be picked up every two weeks.
“Each cart will have a barcode so they can be tracked if Rumple finds them somewhere else,” Engle said.
The five-year contract with Rumpke is worth more than $14 million. The customer rates will increase $1.45 per month per household for the first year, and 30 cents more each year after. Engle said the cost increase is to cover maintenance and extra costs associated with the larger carts.
Reduced rates are available for those who can show proof of a reduced income level.
In the original contract with Rumpke, residents would have received 96-gallon recycling carts, but Engle said there was concern they would be under-used.
“There was concern raised with having two large carts, that people don’t recycle that much,” Engle said. “They can request the larger (recycling) cart.”
Engle said there will be a public education program focus on both recycling and trash disposal.
Carol Simpson of F Street said she has her own large recycling cart that she is able to fill once a month. She’s pleased Rumpke is providing larger solid waste carts.
“It should be up to the customer really; I don’t know if elderly people could handle (the recycling cart),” Simpson said of its size and weight.
As for the fee increase, Simpson said she’d rather the cost not go up, but she understands because “it’s a rough job.”
Engle said the city is asking residents to use the 96- and 65-gallon carts for at least 90 days, but if major problems arise the city and Rumpke will work with residents.
Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in first floor council chambers, 345 High St.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or hpoturalski@coxohio.com.
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