Council approves recycling rate increase

A 20 cent per month rate increase for garbage and recycling removal was approved by the Newton City Council on Monday. The increase comes after Dodd’s Trash Hauling and Recycling, Inc. looked at fluctuations in the cost to dispose of the recyclables which will bring an additional cost of $12,000 to $14,000 per year to the city for services.

Also changed are pick-up times for garbage and recycling. Garbage pick up will move from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. to a condensed time of 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Recycling pick up will move earlier to 9 p.m. to 12 p.m. from the previous pick up time of 12:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“I’ve had some phone calls from people who are concerned about the nine o’clock starting time for pick-up,” mayor Mike Hansen said. “They think it is too early. I’ve had two people tell me 10 o’clock, I’ve had one person tell me 11 and I’ve had one person tell me 10:30.”

During council discussion, councilwoman Evelyn George explained that if a citizen were to not make the pick-up time one week, they are allowed to put out extra recycling the next week without any extra costs. Also, she spoke of Dodd’s willingness to pick up the recycling if the citizen were to call them during the week about a missed pick up.

The change comes after the recycling center in Des Moines stopped giving Dodd’s a small payment for some recyclable items brought to the center. Now, only sorted corrugated cardboard garner payment.

Also, for the past year, the fee for accepting recyclables at the recycling center has remained at more than $17 per ton. Dodd’s worked to reduce costs by collecting recyclables earlier in the evening which helps with staffing and allows them to utilize the same trucks for recycling collection, garbage collection and to transport recyclables to Des Moines.

With the increase in fees, Newton still remains the lowest garbage and recycling collection rate among 11 comparable Iowa cities. In a survey presented by the city, Newton residents pay $1.08 per month less than the next lowest city and $5.84 per month less than the average of the cities.

In his report to the council, city administrator Bob Knabel also said even with the small increase to the fee, citizens should still continue to recycle because it is more economical than bringing garbage to the landfill. The landfill has a $52 per ton fee compared to a $17 per ton fee for recycling.

In other business:

• The D&D property at 326 E. 11th St. N. was approved for sale to Robert Farrell for $1,000.

• Reserve police officer John VanDalen was recognized for his many years of service to the department following the end of the volunteer program.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com