Chesterton Tribune

 

 

Town Council endorses hiking annual county recycling fee by $5

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By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton Town Council has endorsed a proposed increase of the annual recycling fee paid by all Porter County residents.

At its meeting Monday night, members voted 5-0 to endorse raising the current $15 fee to $20, after Therese Davis, executive director of the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County (RWRD), pitched the hike as a way of paying for a tub grinder which all communities in the county could use, on a rotating basis, to dispose of brush.

The Porter County Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. today to consider the $5 increase.

In addition to funding a new tub grinder--as well as a full-time operator for it--the fee hike would enable the RWRD to double the number of household hazardous waste collections days held every year, from three to six. And the fee would allow the RWRD to upgrade the facilities as its local recycling centers, Davis said.

For Street Commissioner John Schnadenberg, having regular access to a tub grinder would mean saving thousands of dollars currently spent on hiring contractors to grind brush. This year alone the Street Department has already paid $24,000 to use some other guy’s equipment, Schnadenberg said. That savings would likely make it possible for the Street Department to dedicate at least a portion of the $1 per month brush fee paid by Chesterton households to other uses.

And a $5 per year increase? That’s only 42 cents per month, Schnadenberg added.

Member Jim Ton, R-1st, did express a concern that the town would have regular access to the grinder. “If it sits in Portage all year, it doesn’t do us any good,” he suggested.

Davis agreed and said that some sort of regular rotation would be developed, with exceptions in the case of post-weather event emergencies.

A couple of uses per year would probably be enough, Schnadenberg for his part indicated.

With Gratitude

Police Chief Dave Cincoski took a moment on Monday to express his gratitude to everyone who attended Friday’s benefit for Reserve Officer Greg Duda, held at the Sand Creek Country Club.

Duda is being treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

“The family was just blown away by the support,” Cincoski said.

 

Posted 9/13/2014

 
 
 
 

 

 

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