For immediate release December 9, 2012
ICON Steering Committee
Steve Combs, ICON Chairman
ICON, the coalition of Inner City Older Neighborhoods, supports Mayor Houston’s proposed ordinance to increase the waste and recycling fee by $1 dollar per month.
The improvement of these services by the administration and its Public Works Department over the past year has been significant. However, it is imperative that the recycling fee be increased to properly fund the leaf, branch and large item pickup programs. These services need to continue with a proper and adequate funding source rather than by using funds which could and should be used elsewhere.
The current 50 cent a month fee is far short of the cost of the services being provided. To continue to efficiently pick up leaves and branches and enhance more recycling opportunities in the near future will require support for this extremely modest increase in fees.
Twelve dollars for the year is less than one meal at your favorite restaurant!
There is not a single part of the city that won’t be affected by increased piles of branches and leaves in alleys and front curbs if these fees are not increased. In addition, any effort to increase the recycling of paper, cardboard, metal, plastic, and glass materials with single stream programs and incentives to reduce the volume of future garbage pickup will be greatly hindered.
Ultimately this is ICON’s goal: reduce the volume of garbage being picked up in Springfield and increase the volume of recyclable materials. That effort requires a stronger educational program and incentives for all Springfield residents to move toward single stream recycling.
The addition of the waste and recycling fee to the CWLP bill is a practical and functional way to insure all residents are paying for the service and Public Works will have the resources to enhance the recycling program. It will also eliminate the haulers’ responsibility to take care of the billing and collection process which is already a pass through payment from the haulers directly to the City.
ICON had supported a much stronger approach to enhance Springfield’s ability to keep it neighborhoods clean and healthy, attract new businesses and residents to the city, and ensure all guests and tourists leave with a positive image of the city. However, this ordinance does move the process in a positive direction and we encourage the aldermen to support its passage.