Friday, April 11, 2008

Trash-hauling Contract Gives St. Ann Residents Price Break

In negotiating an extension of the city’s trash-hauling contract, St. Ann officials have allowed their residents to save a few dollars — for a while, at least.

Residents will save $5 a month by not having to pay for recycling as part of their basic collection service until March of next year, thanks to a loophole in the St. Louis County ordinance that has produced an uproar in some other communities.

The county ordinance requires trash haulers to make recycling part of their basic service if they want to compete for an exclusive right to collect in one of eight districts in the county. Those districts cover the unincorporated parts of the county. However, the ordinance also requires the haulers to make recycling part of the basic service provided to residents of the county’s 90 municipalities.

While that provision is scheduled to take effect July 1, it will be delayed until next year if a city — such as St. Ann — had a trash-hauling contract in place on Jan. 1.The St. Ann Board of Aldermen Monday night (4/7) approved a contract extension with Allied Waste. Basic service through February 2009 will remain at $8.80 a month; recycling is available to residents for an extra $5 a month. But in March 2009, when recycling becomes part of basic service, the monthly cost will increase to $13.50.

“Be prepared,” Mayor Tim James advised residents attending the board’s regular monthly session. “Next year, recycling will commence in St. Ann. What we’ve done is forestall for a year.”

Still to be decided is who will pay for the recycling bins for the 4,300-plus homes served by Allied. Officials estimate that it would cost at least $30,000 for the city to purchase and provide the containers to residents.

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