Another Statement of Support at City Council Meeting, Monday, March 21st

Good evening. My name is Jenny Smith. I live at 1211 Elmerine.

I am here tonight to comment on how much we like the current city wide trash service. We used to pay $15/mo for trash bin service. We piled our recyclables up in the basement and then made a trip every month to the recycling bins. Now we pay $15.75/mo and get trash and recycling. Now, because it is easier, much more of our trash goes into recycling.  In Jeff city as a whole, recycling has increased 7 fold over the previous plan. This is very gratifying and shows that this program is serving our community and our environment very well.

Jeff city is getting a very good deal that is the envy of our neighboring communities. Our city government has served us well. County residents pay up to $25/mo and don’t get the recycling service. I pay for trash pick-up at a family home at Osage Beach and pay $30/mo, also without recycling service. If you create trash, even a little bit, I challenge you find a better deal than what we have now.

If Prop A passes Jeff city residents will almost certainly be paying much more and getting less. Even if you decide to share with your neighbor and you split the cost that could go up to $25, you are saving only about $3 and you don’t have curbside recycling. Free-loaders would go back to using the large bins of businesses and apartment complexes, or dumping trash in their backyards. Some irresponsible renters would go back to leaving all their trash in the basement, moving out and leaving the mess for their landlords. But the freeloaders won’t be able to just save all your trash on the back porch and wait for spring clean-up, because there won’t be one. Prop A would drag us backwards.

The city was able to negotiate a low rate for city residents because of the volume discount. If the trash truck has to go down your street to get your neighbor’s trash, it costs them only a little more to pick up yours.  But if they go down your street for only one resident, it is not cost effective and their costs go up. They cannot offer individuals the same rate as a group. So if we have free choice here and get to choose our own trash hauler, then our rates will go up.

As part of living in a society it is in everyone’s interest that everybody takes care of their own trash.  It is a basic health, safety and sanitation issue. I want all my neighbors to have trash pick-up also, so that all trash around me is properly and responsibly disposed of. That is why it is in everyone’s best interest that the service be mandatory.

I want trash pickup, I want curbside recycling and I want the best price possible.  If the city government has negotiated a better deal than I could by myself than I want to say to the city, THANK YOU. If this is government interference, then I like it. 

I will be voting NO on Prop A.