By Debby Woodin

dwoodin@joplinglobe.com

If Joplin started curbside recycling, it could cost residents at least $15 a month.

And that’s a big if.

Mary Anne Phillips, city recycling coordinator, doesn’t want people to think that is what’s going to happen or that would definitely be the price.

The Joplin City Council in July, when approving a request to renew the city’s franchise waste-hauling agreement with Allied Waste Services, asked city staff to find out what the cost might be to provide curbside recycling.

The council will be told in its informal meeting Monday that it could possibly cost $15.25 per month per household for Allied to provide curbside recycling, according to a letter sent to the city by Jennifer Fagan, governmental affairs manager for Allied.

Phillips said the monthly cost listed in Fagan’s letter is “a very rough, rough, rough estimate.” She said a lot of factors would go into determining the actual cost, if the city opted for such a service.

One consideration would be how far Allied would have to transport the recyclables to dispose of them. Allied does curbside recycling for residents of Bentonville, Ark. Allied takes the items to a plant in Johnson, Ark., near Fayetteville, Ark., for recycling.

Another factor would be whether Allied owns the plant where the materials are recycled or whether it would have to take them to a plant owned by someone else and pay fees for the disposal.

Fagan writes in the letter that factors also include economic conditions and commodity price for the recyclables.

“It’s not really even a proposal. It’s just an idea,” said Phillips. “It’s a ballpark figure that we are not holding them to, but the council wanted to know a ballpark figure.”

Fagan writes in the letter that Allied would have to spend approximately $3.5 million in startup costs.

Phillips said those costs would include buying new trucks equipped to handle both trash and recyclables. Allied’s current trucks couldn’t do that. It also means buying 34,000 poly carts for residents to use; one for trash and for recycling per household. There are about 17,000 households served by the trash service, Phillips said.

If the city went to curbside recycling, though, everyone would likely be included in the plan. She doubts that people who have other means of recycling could be excluded from the service — and the charges.

“No, that would defeat the whole purpose. That’s the whole idea behind the franchise. They (the trash haulers) don’t have to stop and make decisions on which house is a customer. That’s what makes it efficient and speedy. They go down the street, they pick it all up,” Phillips said.

Think that $15.25 a month is high?

“Before we franchised in 2004, that’s what we paid for trash pickup,” Phillips said. “That was just for trash service, not even for curbside recycling.”

The current collection charge is $6.98 per month, with a 35-cent billing fee. Rates next year will go up to $8.70, plus the billing fee, for a total of $9.05 a month for trash service solely.

In business during the council’s regular meeting, the council will:

n Consider authorizing condemnation proceedings for a right of way staff contends is needed for the continued widening of Connecticut Avenue.

n Look at a proposal to spend $246,000 for storm-water drainage projects in the area of A, B and C streets; Porter, Harlem and Empire avenues; and on 15th Street, east of Delaware Avenue.

n Consider whether to authorize a contract with Sprouls Construction for $133,357 for a sewer crossing repair on Turkey Creek.



Meeting details

The Joplin City Council meets in formal session at 6 p.m. in the fifth-floor chambers at City Hall, 602 Main St., preceded by an informal session at 5:15 p.m. in the adjoining conference room.