City officials are trying to determine if it’s time to start a curbside recycling program in Kingsland.

The city already has designated drop-off locations for residents to bring plastic and glass containers, newspapers and cardboard and is seeking feedback from residents about creating curbside recycling through a poll in the city’s website.

The poll asks if residents are aware the city offers drop-off recycling at two locations, if they have ever recycled items in town, how often they recycle, if they would support curbside recycling and if they would be willing to pay for it.

City manager Lee Spell said it would cost $4.50 a month per household if the program is implemented, whether or not they recycle.

“Before we do that, we want to get feedback because of the additional cost,” he said.

Spell said there has been little response to the online poll, so far. The city has plans to include a message on the next utility bills for customers seeking feedback on the proposal.

 

“We want to make sure our citizens are on board,” he said.

The city will also hold public hearings before city council members vote on the issue.

Spell said if curbside recycling is approved, residents would be issued 96-gallon containers that would be picked up every two weeks. If city officials see that the containers are not filled when they are picked up, they could go to recycling pickup once a month, which would lower costs.

“As a resident, I would participate in the program,” he said.

Mayor Ken Smith said recycling would lower the amount of trash dumped into the county landfill.

“Our objective is to keep as much trash out of the landfill as possible,” he said.

The question is if the increase would be supported by city residents and would it harm people living on fixed incomes. Some residents have already expressed concern the increase would be the equivalent of a “backdoor tax,” Smith said.

“We want to see in the poll where people want to go in this issue,” he said. “The question we’re asked is why we want to do this.”

 

Source : thebrunswicknews.com

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