Even though a citywide curbside recycling proposal was voted down 4-3 by the City Council of Andover during its first meeting in January, the topic received more verbal mileage at the governing body’s second meeting of the month.
The topic remained on the minds of council members from the public forum through consent and regular agendas and surfaced again in council members comments prior to adjournment Jan. 26
Interest was shown in either a special mail-in ballot trash hauling/ recycling question or tying such a proposal to either the 2010 Primary or General elections.
City Administrator Sasha Stiles said the county election office will need to know which direction the council might take on a public vote by the latter part of February.
Stiles said a mal-in ballot would cost around $8,000. Putting a question in this year’s primary or general election ballot would be ”virtually no cost” for the City of Andover, said Stiles.
A regular meeting of the Andover City Council is slated for next Tuesday night where the trash/recycling proposal could likely be addressed again.
During the Jan. 26 public forum, Chris Steward spoke about her disappointment with the previous vote and said it is not “government intrusion” as some suggested. She had e-mailed the council “nay” voters and received responses from Mayor Ben Lawrence and member David Tingley.
Council members J.R. Jessen and C.R. Nelson responded at the meeting.
Jessen said comments and votes swayed him think a public vote would be a better course of action.
Nelson said he was skeptical of the idea to begin with and concluded trash hauling and recycling should be a citizen decision.
He was “comfortable” with his vote and said he’s hoping for a public “groundswell” to bring the issue up again.
Andover resident Dwight Wallace appeared before to say he too was disappointed with rejection of the trash/recycling plan. From a homeowner’s perspective he said multiple trucks go through his neighborhood each week. Wallace was especially concerned for the safety of his three grandchildren as well as other youngster.
Councilman Nelson challenged Wallace, a member of a Home Owners Association (HOA), to determine what’s best for the neighborhood and all HOAs in Andover to do some homework and make recommendations.
Councilwoman Caroline Hale suggested HOAs could find themselves in the same boat as the city by mandating trash and recycling services for all.
In other trash business, the council decided to buy out its municipal facilities service contract with Waste Connections for around $6,000 and realize greater savings in the future. After the buyout, Andover will Stutzman Refuse Disposal services.
Andover, Kan. —
