Mayor Kos has filed an order to the City Council to set aside $400,000 or half of the projected total cost of the 32-gallon trash toters which will be assigned to every home in 2017 as the City transitions to a new trash program aimed at curbing trash collection costs.

The new 32-gallon toters will be assigned to each home in the City and are able to be used at no cost to residents. However, if a resident uses more than 32-gallons of trash in a week, they will be required to purchase marked bags for any additional trash.

The changes come on the heels of the Landfill Advisory Committee’s report which recommended trash toters as the most cost effective way to collect trash in the City.

“The centerpiece of the advisory committee recommendations was waste reduction,” said Committee Co-Chair Stan Kulig. “The goal here is cost savings in an effort to limit curbside trash and increase recycling. At the same time we have an opportunity to implement waste reduction/recycling strategies to move closer to Waste Reduction/Zero Waste in the next decade.”

“We’ve enjoyed the benefits of the landfill for a long time,” said Mayor Kos. “The reality is that while we have enjoyed the benefits longer than most communities, the time has now come to transition to the toter system as the most cost effective way for us to dispose of our trash now that the landfill is near closure.”

The total cost of toters for the entire City is expected to come in around $800,000 before any grants are acquired. Setting aside $400,000 of that this year allows the City to minimalize the impact and spread the cost over two years.

Trash toters are expected to arrive in 2017 and residents should receive them shortly after. Residents will be notified when they are to receive the toters and when the new program will officially be implemented.