Tyrone Borough now has a new system for collection of garbage and recycling, and along with the change, residents will see an increase in their bills effective this month.
In August, bids were received for trash and recycling collection for the three-year period effective yesterday and ending Sept. 30, 2009. The borough put into the bid specifications two different co-mingling options. One option was to pick up regular trash every week and all recyclables every other week. Another option was to pick up regular trash every week and co-mingle most items every other week with newspapers being recycled the alternate weeks. The idea to co-mingle was proposed as a way to increase participation.
The previous contract with Waste Management expired on Saturday. Residents were paying a rate of $11.73. Under the old system, residents were asked to recycle a different type of material each week.
Borough Manager Sharon Dannaway previously told The Herald she had learned from Blair County Solid Waste that recycling in the borough had decreased in the past 10 years.
The borough put into the bid specifications two different co-mingling options. The idea to co-mingle was proposed as a way to increase participation.
When the bids were presented, Burgmeier Hauling Inc. of Altoona was the low bidder for the second option of picking up trash every week and recycling most items (plastics, glass and aluminum/tin cans) every other week except newspapers, which would be picked up on the alternating weeks.
Council approved the Burgmeier bid, which offered the lowest rate to residents. The cost for refuse/recycling collection is now $13.49 a month or an annual rate of $161.88 effective yesterday.
“We feel if we simplify it, maybe they’ll increase recycling, if you do co-mingling where you can put all (items) together,” said Dannaway previously.
At a June meeting, councilman Jim Grazier asked if the borough could create a senior citizen rate for trash hauling. Dannaway said the idea would be a billing nightmare. She also told council that Tyrone has one of the lowest rates in the county.
Dannaway said a letter from Burgmeier’s explaining the new system has been sent to residents along with a calendar showing the weeks for co-mingling recyclables except for newspapers and the weeks that newspapers should be left out for pick-up.
In Tyrone, trash/recycling pick-up is scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday except if a holiday falls on one of those days. In those weeks, pick-up is delayed by a day for the remainder of the week.
If anyone has any questions regarding trash hauling or recycling in the borough, Burgmeier’s should be contacted at 943-8975 extension 305 or 314.
