he borough’s solid waste working group and Community Waste Solutions (CWS) manager Craig Franke want to know how many people would take their garbage to a drop-off point in town on days the landfill is closed. CWS will soon offer a survey in an attempt to gauge interest.
In an effort to provide steady garbage drop-off service, borough officials asked if the landfill would consider a transfer station. Franke asked for a financial guarantee of $750 per day to operate the transfer station in the case that the service goes unused and the company loses money. Franke said at a solid waste working group meeting earlier this month that the funding would include payroll, delivery, the cost of acquiring a container and other expenses. It would be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. CWS would only accept household garbage in compostable bags, according to a draft proposal.
Franke said he’s pessimistic about such a service. He offered a similar transfer station at the Mosquito Lake Community Center last year without success.
“We lost our shirt on Mosquito Lake,” Franke said. “I’m not wildly enthusiastic about (this) business venture. This has been a push for a number of years. It keeps coming up and coming up that we ought to have central collection.”
Solid waste members agreed that CWS should offer a survey to the public before offering up any recommendations to an assembly that might balk at the cost. Franke said he’s willing to negotiate on the cost of the guarantee. His proposal cites prices of $3 for up to 6-gallon bags, $6 for a standard 13-gallon kitchen bag and $12 for a 34-gallon bag.
Chamber of Commerce interim director Andrew Letchworth said he’s helping Franke draft a survey that will either be offered at the landfill or sent out in a mass mailer.