Budget Cuts Could Impact Garbage, Recycling Pickup

Beth Kinney, director of the Department of Community Services, detailed what an additional $158,000 in budget cuts would mean for residents.

Kinney outlined several options council has for where they want the cuts to come from, including switching from rear yard trash pickup to front-yard for a savings of $10,000 this year and then $130,000 a year after that.

But these savings come at a cost, she said. Front-yard garbage removal effects the ambiance of the community and causes inconvenience for many of the city's residents.

Phyllis Sank, a resident on Norwood Avenue, said many residents, especially seniors, will have trouble bringing their garbage cans to the curb.

"I think it's a service that speaks to the quality of life in Summit," she said.

Another option, Kinney said, would be to eliminate curbside recycling or reduce it to one pickup a month and keep the Recycling Center open for drop off on Sunday only. Eliminating curbside recycling altogether would result in $210,000 in net savings next year while reducing pickup to once a month would result in a yearly savings of $42,000. This option would also result in two layoffs in the Garbage and Trash unit.

Kinney also said these changes to the city's recycling program could effect reaching the state's mandated 50 percent recycling rate goal by 2012.

Margorie Fox, a member of the Summit environmental commission, urged council not to eliminate or reduce the recycling program in Summit.

"To do so would be a really serious step back," she said.

Another option to reach the budget goal would be to close the disposal area at the transfer station, for a savings of $153,000. This option would also result in two layoffs.

Kinney also laid out three options which would each save the taxpayers less than $3 a year. They include decreasing the city engineers contract to two days per week, decreasing the city planner's contract by .5 days per week and eliminating the part time property maintenance inspector.

Furloughs, Kinney said, are also complicated in DCS because there is no good time of year to do them since services still need to occur such as trash pickup, snow removal and cutting the grass around the city.