City Council: Compromise being reached for Hillview Estates trash collection

The city is reaching a compromise with residents of Hillview Estates over just who will provide trash service to the west side senior development. Residents of Hillview Estates turned out in force for the March 20th meeting of the City Council in a show of solidarity to retain their commercial hauler and not switch to city service.Public Works Director/City Engineer told the council that Hillview Estates is an “unusual situation” as it is the only residential area utilizing individual barrels that are served by a commercial hauler.Wilkinson had noted at a prior council meeting that city collection at Hillview Estates is mandated by ordinance and recommended that they be switched from Harrison & Sons to the municipal hauler, but further study on the issue had presented options.To retain Harrison, residents of Hillview Estates could already be considered commercial customers by the virtue of having one dumpster on the premises, but billing would have to be switched from individual accounts to the homeowner’s association, said Wilkinson. “The cost could be added to the monthly dues,” and could result in a cost savings as Harrison would save paperwork processing time and postage with single billing. “It could be a substantial savings to Harrison and the customers to send one bill instead of 130,” he added.Additional documentation of recycling would also have to be forthcoming to supplement Hillview’s current records on recycables; Hillview residents have several recycling programs that benefit local charities and are fully documented. The state has mandated a recycling goal that could bring punitive fines - $10,000 a day - to each city that fails to meet the requirements.Green waste disposal and recycling would have to implemented, a “significant fraction of the waste stream,” said Wilkinson, although Hillview has limited individual areas that generate such refuse.