Voter
s in the City of Wayland will join a significant number of other municipalities in Allegan County to decide next August on a proposal to pay a $36 per year fee for recycling services.
The Allegan County Board of Commissioners earlier this year gave Allegan County Resource and Recovery the green light to ask the issue be placed on ballots all over the county. This has caused Director Ben Williams to make a lot of appearances lately at township board and city council meetings.
Williams told the council Monday night that the $36 per household per year fee would enable the city to meet the costs of having the curbside program. He noted Wayland was $10,900 in the hole in the past year.
Williams also said an annual household hazardous waste collection date year has been very popular, with about 330 cars showing up last year. But the program costs money.
All households in the county who elect to participate pay a $25 annual fee for recycling and do have a chance to opt out of the program. If the $36 annual fee proposal is approved at the Aug. 2 primary election, the opt out clause will no longer apply.
Leighton Township March 10 also voted to put the issue before its voters.
Williams added his department is working on getting a grant to pay for a program in which citizens can dispose of old tires without cost.
The council 5-0 to provide a letter of intent to have the issue placed on the primary ballot.
