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Current Issue Links
Amended recycling ordinance on agenda
Council gets first look at voluntary recycling option
Proposed changes to the ordinance mandating curbside collection of trash and recycling will appear
before the Ridgecrest City Council at tonight’s regular meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in City Council
Chambers.
The city passed an ordinance in March 2009 that required all residential and commercial property owners
to subscribe to trash and recycling collection services. The passing, and subsequent implementation and
enforcement, of the ordinance was a result of pressure from California Integrated Waste Management (now
Cal-Recycles) to comply with state mandates for diverting recyclables from the waste stream.
The council approved an agreement with the state in 2007 to put into place several programs in order to
increase the city’s diversion rate above the mandated 50 percent. While the city was working on programs, it
came up with a formula that showed a diversion rate of 53 percent. On the strength of those numbers the city
let deadlines for program implementation lapse. The state discredited the city’s numbers, levied fines and
threatened further financial penalties if the city failed to hold to its end of the recycling agreements.
The city and trash collector Benz Sanitation have been under fire from many residents ever since. Most
complaints focused on the high service fees and no option for self-hauling.
The new ordinance provides residential property owners that option for self-hauling, said City Manager
Harvey Rose, but “Through all of this, the diversion mandates remain the same.”
The city has seen a slight increase in diversion since implementing mandatory recycling, said Rose, but
exact numbers are not yet available. Part of the incompleteness of the data stems from the lack of universal
compliance. Nearly 25 percent of residents have not paid their trash bills. Of that number, it remains unclear
how many of those households are participating in the program.
How does the city hope to meet diversion standards with a nonmandatory program?
“It all depends on how cooperative residents are,” said Rose. For program success, it is critical that self-
haulers make sure their recyclables — including paper, cardboard, plastics and metals — are taken to
recycling stations rather than buried in the landfill.
The city currently operates three existing drop-off points for recyclables and has plans to place another at the
landfill. Because the local dumping site is owned and operated by Kern County, the city is in negotiations to
implement that program.
“And there is always the option of having your recycling handled by our collector,” said Rose. “The bottom line
is that we are still promoting recycling.”
For additional agenda items, see related story.
before the Ridgecrest City Council at tonight’s regular meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in City Council
Chambers.
The city passed an ordinance in March 2009 that required all residential and commercial property owners
to subscribe to trash and recycling collection services. The passing, and subsequent implementation and
enforcement, of the ordinance was a result of pressure from California Integrated Waste Management (now
Cal-Recycles) to comply with state mandates for diverting recyclables from the waste stream.
The council approved an agreement with the state in 2007 to put into place several programs in order to
increase the city’s diversion rate above the mandated 50 percent. While the city was working on programs, it
came up with a formula that showed a diversion rate of 53 percent. On the strength of those numbers the city
let deadlines for program implementation lapse. The state discredited the city’s numbers, levied fines and
threatened further financial penalties if the city failed to hold to its end of the recycling agreements.
The city and trash collector Benz Sanitation have been under fire from many residents ever since. Most
complaints focused on the high service fees and no option for self-hauling.
The new ordinance provides residential property owners that option for self-hauling, said City Manager
Harvey Rose, but “Through all of this, the diversion mandates remain the same.”
The city has seen a slight increase in diversion since implementing mandatory recycling, said Rose, but
exact numbers are not yet available. Part of the incompleteness of the data stems from the lack of universal
compliance. Nearly 25 percent of residents have not paid their trash bills. Of that number, it remains unclear
how many of those households are participating in the program.
How does the city hope to meet diversion standards with a nonmandatory program?
“It all depends on how cooperative residents are,” said Rose. For program success, it is critical that self-
haulers make sure their recyclables — including paper, cardboard, plastics and metals — are taken to
recycling stations rather than buried in the landfill.
The city currently operates three existing drop-off points for recyclables and has plans to place another at the
landfill. Because the local dumping site is owned and operated by Kern County, the city is in negotiations to
implement that program.
“And there is always the option of having your recycling handled by our collector,” said Rose. “The bottom line
is that we are still promoting recycling.”
For additional agenda items, see related story.
By REBECCA NEIPP,
News Review Staff Writer
News Review Staff Writer
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