County Curbside

County plans public meetings on trash and recycling collection plan

Santa Fe County will hold a series of public meetings starting tonight to discuss the possibility of bringing curbside garbage and recycling collection to three of the most crowded unincorporated areas of the county at a lower rate than available today.

Craig O'Hare, an energy programs specialist with the county, says there are roughly 15,000 residents living in the three proposed districts.  Residents won't be required to use the service, yet he notes that those who want curbside will be charged a fee by haulers.

The county wants to offer exclusive contracts with the firms to service the districts with the hope that it will lower commercial rates among residents who live in unincorporated areas of the county. Once the contracts are issued, other haulers wouldn't be allowed to serve homes in the areas.

Right now, the residents either haul their own trash and recycling to one of the eight county "convenience centers" or pay one of a smattering of private of haulers on their own (Most of these don't even offer recycling pickup.)

The proposed ordinance to service the districts will go before the Santa Fe County Commissioners on June 30, and if all goes well, the program could get underway as early as next year by mid-summer, O'Hare says. Of course, he says, there's always the possibility that when the county gets back the bids from various haulers that the money might not match up to the county's expectations, in which case the program could be reconsidered.

Meetings are tonight at 6 pm in the cafeteria at Amy Biehl Community School in Rancho Viejo; 6 pm, May 20  at the event room in Las Campanas, 132 Clubhouse Drive; and 6 pm, Thursday, May 21 at the Ken and Patty Adam Eldorado Senior Center.

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