Woman wants recycling restored

A Sharon resident is “extremely unhappy” about council’s decision to make residents pay for recycling and wants council to reconsider.

Julie Snow, of 417 Elm Ave., said Wednesday she always thought city taxes were reasonable and didn’t have a problem with the cost of the recycling coming out of taxes. Ms. Snow said taxes are lower, but asked, “at what cost?”

There is no incentive for families to separate and recycle, Ms. Snow said. She said even though the bags are only 61 cents, renters and low-income families may not be able to afford the bags. Councilman Raymond Fabian said the cost of recycling was shifted from the city to residents because council was “looking for an easy way to cut $125,000.” He said he was against the move because now it’s a nuisance for citizens.

The city can monitor recycling over the next few years to see what kind of a decline there’s been, Fabian said. He said council could reverse the decision in the future.

Council President Fred Hoffman said the decision can’t be reversed now because the budget has been adopted. As a matter of fact, the decision can’t be reversed for three years because of the contract with Waste Management, the city’s hauler, he said. If Waste Management is willing to change the contract next year, the decision could be changed, Hoffman said.

Ms. Snow asked if the city has to recycle a certain percentage of its garbage. Mayor Robert T. Price said there is no city ordinance, but since 1998 the state has requiredd that cities recycle 25 percent of their garbage.

City solicitor William Madden said as far as he knows, the state doesn’t yet have the ability to fine a city for not reaching those goals set by Gov. Tom Ridge.

Councilman George Gulla said he thinks the city needs to find more places within the city for residents to buy bags. Thornton Food Market is the only place in Sharon where the bags are sold. Hoffman also explained that the correct way for residents to recycle is to place the recycle bags in their green bins.

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