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Committee reports on second look into curbside recycling

LISBON — The Village Council committee asked to take a second look at the feasibility of implementing a curbside recycling program still does not believe it is a good idea.

Councilwoman Dawn Thomas, who was named chairman of the special committee, said they did not find any new information over the past month that would lead them to change their mind.

“It’s really not the right time,” she said.

Thomas was appointed by Mayor Roger Gallo to the special committee, along with councilmen Peter Wilson and Ryan Berg, after the village was asked by the Solid Waste District for Columbiana, Carroll and Harrison counties to consider offering curbside recycling to residents as a way to increase recycling participation.

The SWD’s recycling program consists of locations where residents can drop off their household recyclables. One site is in town and another is less than three miles away in Elkton.

Thomas and Berg reported back in September their research showed curbside recycling was not feasible unless the village entered into an exclusive contract requiring residents to use the same garbage hauler, something council was reluctant to do. Wilson, who favors going to curbside recycling, asked them to study the issue for another month, but Thomas said nothing learned over the past four weeks made her change her mind.

Wilson remained undeterred, however, saying he still believes it is not only possible but going to a single hauler is likely cheaper for residents based on his research.

In related news, councilmen Jeff Snyder and Jerry Cox said they both received letters from Aarrow Disposal saying that as of Oct. 1 the Salem company was no longer collecting garbage in town but it had contracted with Dailey Refuse of Wellsville to continue providing the service.

The news comes five weeks after Aarrow’s owner told council he opposed going to an exclusive hauler for the purposes of implementing curbside recycling. Aarrow serviced about half the households in town.

In other news, council rescinded the firefighter personnel policy it adopted at the previous meeting after Wilson and Cox reported more than 75 percent of the firefighters expressed their opposition at a safety committee meeting that followed.

Fire Chief Paul Gresh Jr., who was in attendance, said he had sought input when preparing the department’s first-ever policy and procedures manual but that never really materialized, so he went ahead the best he could on his own. Wilson and Cox suggested the policy be rescinded and they start over, and Gresh agreed.

Council also approved renewing life insurance coverage for firefighters at total annual cost of $1,925, which is $586 more than currently because coverage now extends to when firefighters are off duty. Firefighters were only covered if they died on duty under the current policy.

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