By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington alderman are trashing new bulk waste collection fees, but city manager David Hales said the proposal which the city council delayed on Monday was one of many ideas meant to help the city plug its multi-million dollar deficit.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Hales on WJBC.
“Should the fee go up, should the service be reduced or some combination?,” Hales asked. “We have made some strides but this was one of the last recommendations of the budget task force.”
Hales told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin many communities only do curbside collection during spring and fall cleaning, but he said Bloomington residents are accustomed to regular collections.
“Frankly, all the cities I have lived in that’s typically the norm,” Hales said. “That’s the history in those commuities. That hasn’t been the history here.”
Hales added the city is devoting about $1.5 million in general revenue funds annually to cover solid waste when that program should be self-sustaining.
The city council had concerns about how much the proposed $20 fee for a third collection and $40 for each collection after that would raise and how they would be implemented. There’s no timetable for when the city might revisit the issue.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
