July 26, 2011 by Current Publishing

Council approves trash ordinance Current in Carmel After months of discussions and numerous amendments, citywide trash and recycling services will soon be coming to Carmel. The City Council last week approved a revised Sharp version of an ordinance allowing the city to select one service provider for all residents. The purpose of the ordinance was to provide residents with both trash and recycling services for about 50 percent less than many are spending on trash services alone when selecting their own providers. Republic will begin providing citywide trash and recycling services beginning Jan. 1, 2012, and these services will cost residents $8.82 per household, per month before increasing every year in the next four years. The city will keep $.25 per household per month to cover service calls, billing and other customer service operations. However, in an effort to accommodate those who are not in favor of the change, the council approved an amended version of the ordinance that, among many other revisions, included an opt-out clause. “It became clear quickly that this rubbish

6 | July 26, 2011

ordinance was headed for the rubbish if there was not an opt-out option available across the board,” said Councilman Rick Sharp. Residents will have an opportunity later this year to opt out of this plan if they wish to use a third party service provider. While the council originally discussed an opt-out window occurring in December, Council President Eric Seidensticker said the window likely will be sooner than the last month of the year. The exact month will be determined at the next council meeting, he said, adding that it could begin as many as 90 days before the new year and the beginning of the citywide trash services. Opting out only applies to the following calendar year. For example, residents who opt out for 2012 in the coming months also would need to opt out one year later for 2013. Residents who opt out of the plan and change their minds may opt back in at any time; however, residents wanting to opt out only can do so during the 30-day window. As the deal on which it bid has changed, Republic has the right to get out of the deal itself and rebid if the number of participating households drops below 20,000. If Republic does not get out of the deal, the current contract will last for five years.

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