City Council passed a resolution Monday that will enroll refuse and recycling account holders in a composting program with an option to opt-out of the program at any time.
The program will cost $6.33 per month and will provide a five gallon composting bucket to residents. If a person does not want to pay the $6.33, they can opt-out of the program and will not incur those fees.
Those new charges come with a renewal of the city’s waste management contract with the Athens-Hocking Recycling Center.
The contract renewal will increase fees for refuse and recycling, with the fee for one container of trash plus recycling increasing from $10 to $14.50, excluding composting fees.
Some council members previously expressed concern about adding composting fees during the COVID-19 pandemic and supported an optional program in order to minimize costs for residents of Athens.
Council debated whether to make the composing service an opt-out or an opt-in program. Councilman Sam Crowl, D-3rd Ward, said he supported an opt-out program because it would allow for more people to participate in the composting program.
“I know that some feel that an opt-out program means that people aren’t aware of it. I believe that they will be made aware of it through public education, and also if they do not opt-out, a very nice bucket that says ‘Athens Hocking Recycling Program’ is going to be delivered to their front door,” Crowl said.
Other members of council were concerned that automatically enrolling all account holders in a composting program would create unnecessary costs for those who have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council members Arian Smedley, D-1st Ward, and Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward, voted against an opt-out program in favor of an opt-in program.
“By making it opt-out, you are automatically enrolling the entire city in the program … and I can’t get over in my mind why it is that we’re asking these folks to go out of their way to not be charged for something they don’t have to pay for,” Smedley said.
Crowl suggested including educational material with the composting buckets that would provide information on how to correctly compost as well as how to opt-out of the program.
Councilwoman Beth Clodfelter, D-At Large, said even though people will be automatically enrolled in the composting program, it is completely optional to participate in it.
“I do think it’ll be much better for the environment if it’s an opt-out program, but we have made it optional so that people who’ve lost jobs or are low income or don’t like the idea for whatever reason do not have to participate,” Clodfelter said.
