From left, Parkersburg City Council President Andrew Borkowski outlines a new proposal for curbside recycling during a special council meeting Tuesday as Councilmen Zak Huffman and Chris Rexroad listen in council chambers. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — City officials proposed a new recycling program structure during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday that reduces the overall cost and charges all residents a small amount.

But some speakers argued everyone should bear the full cost of what they view as a vital public service.

The original proposal for a subscription-based recycling service with Rumpke – which was tabled by council until its Feb. 10 meeting – called for participating households to be charged $15.35 a month, with six months due in advance, plus $20 for the 95-gallon cart. Multiple residents said that was too expensive and would discourage participation. A provision in the contract said the city would be responsible for paying Rumpke for the minimum number of subscribers – 900 – if fewer than that took part.

“I don’t know laws, but I do know good business and bad business. And I know good deals and bad deals,” said Parkersburg resident Cari Talarico.

Talarico said she likes to recycle, but “I’m not paying six months ahead of time and adding 15-something extra (to do so).”

Parkersburg resident Brian Hayden, right, disagrees with Parkersburg City Council President Andrew Borkowski, not pictured, during a special council meeting Tuesday on a subscription-based curbside recycling program as Michael Bowman films for his online programming. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

After discussion and questions from council members and the public, council President Andrew Borkowski proposed a new plan that would charge all households a $1.50 monthly recycling surcharge, whether they recycled or not. Those who wanted to participate in curbside recycling would pay an additional $3 a month. The city would pay the initial fee for the cart and would bill residents, so six months would not be due in advance, Finance Director Eric Jiles said prior to the meeting.

“This would work under the contract presented from Rumpke to City Council, that we’ve tabled,” Borkowski said. “This is what I believe to be a fair and equitable plan based on all the parameters.”

In an earlier interview, Mayor Tom Joyce said the new proposal was the result of collaboration between Borkowski and Jiles. The $1.50 surcharge provides money to cover the minimum payment if fewer than 900 households sign up, he said.

Borkowski said the additional $3 for recycling offers an alternative to paying incoming sanitation contractor Waste Management an additional $4.75 a month for an extra trash container.

“If you recycle, it’s going to decrease the amount of bags you have for them to pick up,” Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl said.

Parkersburg resident Walt Auvil expresses his objection to the city’s proposed subscription-based curbside recycling program during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting Tuesday at the Municipal Building. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Parkersburg resident Russ Bowers said he thought the proposal merited consideration but suggested the city not charge anything for the first year, in recognition of the suspension of recycling services since May due to staffing issues in the city’s Sanitation Department.

Joyce has proposed reducing the monthly sanitation fee from $22 to $19.50 following the approval of the Waste Management contract last week. He’s also proposed a two-month credit of $44, although those provisions have not been voted on by council.

Parkersburg resident William Smith said the new amount was “still too much.”

“You all are discouraging (recycling) 100%, and you should be ashamed,” he said.

Joyce and other city officials have said the subscription-based approach places the cost burden for recycling on those who participate in the program. Curbside recycling has been included with the city’s sanitation service, but only about 25% of residential customers actually participated, according to a request for proposals on recycling the city issued in November.

Parkersburg City Councilwoman Wendy Tuck, left, speaks during a special council meeting about a proposed subscription-based recycling service Tuesday in council chambers as council President Andrew Borkowski listens. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Before and after Borkowski outlined the new proposal, some in attendance argued recycling shouldn’t be any different from other services for which taxpayers pay but don’t necessarily use.

“Police – we pay that fee and pray we never need that service,” Parkersburg resident Sue Ellen Waybright said. “The subscription-based recycling is just, to me, insane.”

Parkersburg resident Brian Hayden said recycling is “logical. It is reasonable. It is not a left-versus-right argument.”

“This is a fight for the future of our land,” he said. “If you sell an idea of pride and respect (for) our environment and reducing the amount of crap that we put into the ground, you can make a difference.”

Kuhl asked Parkersburg resident Walt Auvil, who is suing the city over its suspension of recycling service, what he thought of Borkowski’s proposal. Auvil said recycling is required by state law and should not be conditioned on paying an additional fee.

From left, Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce speaks during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting about a proposed subscription-based curbside recycling program Tuesday in council chambers as Councilmembers Dave McCrady, Sharon Kuhl and Roger Brown listen. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Councilman Chris Rexroad suggested at the start of the meeting finding a way to keep recycling in house and provide the service for less than the cost of the proposed contract.

Councilwoman Wendy Tuck and some speakers asked about ways to keep the Municipal Recycling Facility open, including getting other communities to provide funding. Borkowski and Joyce said that was a separate issue that would be discussed at a meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Wood County Resiliency Center with the Wood County Solid Waste Authority and other local leaders.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com

Parkersburg resident Brian Hayden speaks during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting about a proposed subscription-based recycling service Tuesday in council chambers. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Parkersburg City Council President Andrew Borkowski speaks at the beginning of a special meeting Tuesday to discuss a subscription-based recycling service for the city. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Parkersburg resident Cari Talarico, left, speaks during a special Parkersburg City Council meeting about a proposed subscription-based curbside recycling program Tuesday in council chambers. (Photo by Evan Bevins)