Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority commissioners approved a steep rate change Wednesday in hopes of grabbing new business from landscapers and contractors.
The authority currently charges $94.20 per ton to drop off "Type 23" vegetative waste - defined as grass, leaves, logs and leaves - at the Rock Avenue Transfer Station. That works out to $28.54 per cubic yard, officials explained, which is higher than rates charged in surrounding communities. The change to $6.50 per cubic yard did not require a rate hearing, authority attorney Leslie London said, so the new rate will kick in by Monday.
After some probing of the change, Commissioner Dunn said of the competition, "We blew by them."
One of Dunn's concerns was where the debris would be taken after being dumped at the transfer station. Officials said the authority is only 13 months into a three-year deal with Brighton Industries to accept vegetative waste by the cubic yard, which is more favorable than tonnage when items such as heavy tree stumps are involved.
The authority also hopes to expand its bulky waste disposal service to municipalities throughout Somerset and Middlesex counties at a contracted rate of $84 per ton, down from $110. Currently South Plainfield is the only outside user of the transfer station for Type 13 waste, which consists of household castoffs.
Sales manager Darius Griffin said he plans to contact administrators of nearby Middlesex and Somerset county towns starting Monday, to apprise them of the new rates.
In other matters, the authority will pursue a $1 million repair of the century-old Rock Avenue Interceptor, through which two million gallons of sewage pass daily. The project would place a new sewer line under an undeveloped street, thus avoiding complications of two other options due to the sewer line's proximity to the Green Brook. Unless a break in the line causes an emergency, the project will proceed on a schedule through 2014.
A notice distributed at the meeting Wednesday gave a heads-up on new fines proposed for not sorting recyclables out of household trash. A decline in compliance with state recycling laws spurred the imposition of fines from $250 to $1,000 per incident. Although the PMUA notice cites a significant jump in Plainfield recycling, it says separation of glass, plastic, aluminum, bottle, cans and paper must be increased.
The meeting began with a round of kudos for the 2012 Environmental Fair, which took place on Sept. 8. PMUA Commissioner Carol Brokaw congratulated employees for putting together a "very successful" event and Chairman Harold Mitchell called it "the best ever." Commissioner Malcolm Dunn called it "a very welcoming and positive event for Plainfield." New Executive Director Dan Williamson said, "We too believe it was the best in recent history."
--Bernice
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Although some might find it difficult to create an event where the main draw is "FREE FOOD" .. I'd be more impressed if say, they put on an event, charged for food served and donated the proceeds to a local food pantry etc.. Then call it successful. Now that would impress me.
ReplyDelete"Although the PMUA notice cites a significant jump in Plainfield recycling, it says separation of glass, plastic, aluminum, bottle, cans and paper must be increased."
ReplyDeleteI separate MY paper and plastic, and PMUA dumps it all into the same bin in the back of the truck, separation be damned.
So they are going to impose a fine if you don't recycle?
ReplyDeleteHow will that work with apartment buildings? Will the owners be fined? They are the ones that directly pay and are responsible for PMUA charges. How can a landlord force tenants to recycle? Stand by the garbage every hour, watching for violators? Maybe they'll have to hire someone to sort through their trash in those big dumpsters, put the plastic/paper in separate bins.
Will there now be people going through our trash bags, looking for a recycling violations?
So, if you put a plastic bottle in your regular trash -- you get a $1000 fine? Really?
This seems extremely unreasonable. Sounds like just another way for the PMUA to rip people off.
Want to bet they go through the well-off neighborhood trash and ignore the West End? How could a West Ender pay a $1000 fine?
Time to opt out Plainfield!!
It's good to see the PMUA going in the right direction, but let's take a wait-and-see attitude. Maybe Malcolm Dunn and his friends will give away another million dollars to someone.
ReplyDeleteMany towns have trucks with bins on the side to separate type of recyclables. Why hasn't the PMUA purchased those types of trucks. They spend money like its water, but they don't spend it on the right things.
Why are we paying someone else to haul away "Type 23" vegetative waste - defined as grass, leaves, logs and leaves???
ReplyDeleteThey need to start a recycling program where branches and chipped for mulch, logs split for firewood, leaves and grass are composted. These materials then should be available for plainfield residents to pickup for free to use. Many other towns have programs like this the Cranford conservation center is a great example. We shouldn't have to pay someone else to dispose of these materials when they can be easily recycled and would be useful to many residents in Plainfield. You can still charge for drop off but save money on disposal costs.
Bernice,
ReplyDeleteYou say in your POST:
A notice distributed at the meeting Wednesday gave a heads-up on new fines proposed for not sorting recyclables out of household trash. A decline in compliance with state recycling laws spurred the imposition of fines from $250 to $1,000 per incident. Although the PMUA notice cites a significant jump in Plainfield recycling, it says separation of glass, plastic, aluminum, bottle, cans and paper must be increased.
This is an interesting comment when you watch what happens on a VERY regular basis. My mother has medical problems which prevent her from being able to wheel the garbage to the curb. To their CREDIT the PMUA comes into the yard to collect the trash, BUT every week when they collect the garbage they take the recycling that we work hard to separate from the trash and dump it into the SAME truck. SO the question begs to be asked WHY DO WE TAKE THE TIME TO RECYCLE? HOW WOULD THE NEW RULES CHANGE THIS PRACTICE?
I must agree with the Annon 12.45. Each week I separate paper from co-mingle (bottles, cans etc) and each week the PMUA garbage personal place them in the same truck. And when they fail to pick up the recycling on Wednesday (which happens on occasion) they just add it to the garbage next time around.
DeleteI have also been noticing many homes in the neighborhood opting out. There are Republic garbage cans popping up all over. I was told by one neighbor that when they opted out a representative from the authority, Eric Knight, telephoned them and offered a lower rate. They offered via a smaller can, or less frequent pick ups.
Has anyone heard of this? why not offer that to everyone?
Ega Brag
Sounds like opting out is putting the pinch on PMUA. Perhaps more of us should do the same. I know ill be looking into this.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, if they can reduce rates for businesses they want to attract, then they can certainly afford to reduce rates for all of the Plainfield residents. They have ripped us off for so long because we're a captive audience.
Time to opt out. Tell your neighbors!
The big secret in the Recycling Community is: We will have them separte stuff, or put in different colored bags, etc "To Train" them for the future, while the insiders KNOW it all get mixed in along the way long the road.
ReplyDeleteThe PMUA is full of nonsense. They don't make any sense. Their rates are so high for solid waste that they should be reducing those rates by 50-60% They act as if they are actually helping out the average resident. People need to continue to opt out and put the pressure on their council members. The wasteful spending is still happening. The bloated budget, excessive lawyers, and trips to Chicago continue.
ReplyDeleteSelf adulation is the Commissioners and Executives long suite. As to the reduction in commercial rates the question is: What is the projected financial benefit? Here is your assignment Commissioners. At the next meeting promulgate a written projection showing the anticipated increase in volume resulting form this price reduction, the time frame during which it will occur, and the associated increased cost versus increased income. Did you perform this analysis? Then, at 6 months intervals publish the figures associated with the program to monitor is efficacy. If you do in fact net a profit show how this profit is applied to reduce homeowners rates.
ReplyDeleteIn the mean time, the best course of action is to OPT OUT. The Council proposed "study committee" is dead before it starts, the cavalry from Trenton was ambushed at the pass, and neither the present nor anticipated future Administration promises to be an agent of reform. OPT OUT...if a sufficient number of subscribers OPT OUT the PMUA will not be sustainable.