The city is looking at a new way of charging residents for garbage collection which could change how much people pay.
City Council is examining using a waste utility to charge residents for trash collection. That means,instead of paying through property taxes,residents would pay through a separate utility.
A city report says it could lead to higher costs for waste services for residents. But the report says it will create a more equitable way of sharing waste service costs between residents and commercial property owners.
It also says a waste utility provides the option of charging residents based on how much waste they produce which would encourage people to adopt habits more geared towards recycling and composting. The report says users can lower their fees by reducing the amount of waste they dispose of.
City administration says diverting more waste away from the landfill will extend its life and reduce the likelihood of having to create a new one.
The report says approximately $8.1 million will be removed from the mill rate to be funded from other sources if the city moves to a full utility for waste management. On average,it equates to $68 per year.
Administration has not identified how much a waste utility would cost because it has not yet designed the utility program. A more detailed report on a waste services utility is expected in August.
