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The city of Spanish Fork has contracted with Allied Waste for a city recycling program, but officials say 2,000 residents must sign up before the program can start.
The City Council decided to go with a voluntary program after high support from residents, said assistant city manager Seth Perrins. So far, nearly 600 households have signed up, including 250 from the first week it was available.
"We're very encouraged by that," Perrins said.
Perrins said the city has been actively looking for residents to sign up for the last three weeks, and the level of participation is a good indication the program will succeed.
"If after six months we haven't hit the mark and we need to re-evaluate, then we will," he said.
A city survey from the fall of 2005 showed the majority of respondents supported a recycling program and nearly half supported a mandatory program. The survey received 493 total votes, but some households were able to submit multiple responses. Perrins said if the city did not expect 2,000 residents to sign up, they would not have gone forward with the service.
The decision for a voluntary program was made because the cost savings of a mandatory citywide program was minimal. Perrins said mandatory service would only cost residents 80 cents less per month, so the city decided to give residents a choice. Some residents were concerned for single parents or fixed income households if a mandatory program (and mandatory fee) were to be enacted.
"There were enough people that the council didn't feel comfortable forcing it on the public," he said.
The biggest issue in getting residents to sign up is getting the word out, and Perrins said the city has sent out notices in the city newsletter and has commercials on the Spanish Fork Community Network. The service currently costs around $7 per month, but the price would decrease as more people sign up and share the cost.
Spanish Fork resident James Westwater said although he is happy the city is making strides to help the environment, he thinks it is being done in the wrong way. Westwater said it is important for residents to have a choice, but the city could do more to increase subscribers.
American Fork recently changed its recycling program to an opt-out system, in which all residents pay for the service unless they decide to opt out. Westwater said Spanish Fork should follow suit in order to increase participation in the project.
"They are both voluntary, which is very key, because people out here in Utah do not like to be told what to do," he said.
Westwater said the city is still far from reaching its goal of 2,000 participating residents, but people would be less likely to decline recycling than to accept it. If everyone were signed up initially, few people would go through the effort to cancel their service.
"That puts the onus on the person to say, 'I'm not going to do what's healthy for the planet. I would rather save money than save the environment,' " he said.
Westwater said he has spoken to council members about the alternative plan, but the decision may have been made before they knew about an opt-out plan. His main worry, he said, is what will happen if the 2,000 mark is not met.
"I commend the city for doing something, but I don't think they've chosen the smarter way," he said.
Spanish Fork Mayor Joe Thomas said the recycling program would be scrapped for the time being if not enough people sign up. However, he said he believes it is a good deal for the city and residents.
"I think we've got some work to do, but I think we'll get there," he said.
Thomas said he believes the government should give people a choice, so an opt-out program was not the first option the city wanted to consider.
"The first option will be to give the people the choice," he said. "The first option will be the kind way." |
