Transcript Staff Writer

Curbside recycling will launch in the urban Norman area March 1, after Norman city councilmembers approved a five-year contract between Waste Management and the Norman Municipal Authority at the council's regular Tuesday meeting.

"I'm unofficially speaking for (Citizens Organized to Recycle the Environment) to say thank you for keeping the recycling effort going and that it is happening in March," said former city councilmember Lyntha Wesner to council at the conclusion of the meeting.

CORE members were strong proponents behind approval of Norman's recycling referendum passed overwhelmingly May 8.

Councilmembers split 6-1 on their vote on the contract, with Ward 2 councilmember Richard Stawicki casting the "nay" vote, citing Waste Management's ability to raise rates if its costs go up and not including voluntary participation. Councilmembers Carol Price Dillingham, Rachel Butler, David Hopper, Doug Cubberley, Dan Quinn and Mayor Cindy Rosenthal voted in favor. Bob Thompson and Hal Ezzell were absent.

The City of Norman will begin billing its utility customers $3 per month for curbside recycling when service begins March 1. The March 1 date became necessary when enough equipment was not available to begin on the Jan. 1 date in the referendum.

Waste Management will do curbside recycling of glass, newspapers, magazines, No. 1 and 2 plastics, steel and tin cans, aluminum cans and junk mail. No corrugated cardboard or chipboard will be picked up.

Curbside recycling pickup will be the same day as current trash pickup.

A minimum 18-gallon plastic container will be provided by Waste Management to customers who are utility customers and currently have a polycart. Wheels or lids will be optional for an additional charge. Replacement bins would be about $15.

Apartment dwellers and rural sanitation customers will not be included or billed.

A provision in the contract allows Waste Management to increase its fees if it has documented increased processing costs or tipping fees, which raised some objection on council and with a few members of the public.

"They would have to show us proof that the cost of processing has gone up," Komiske said. "They couldn't just say 'whoop, it went up.'"

The company will provide monthly and annual reports and the City will field any complaints, passing them on to the company.

Council received two bids -- one from Waste Management and one from its own sanitation department.

"We were definitely willing," Komiske said, of the City's bid. "Expertise was definitely in favor of Waste Management."

The City of Norman will pay Waste Management $2.24 per month, per customer to do curbside recycling. The contract will increase by 10 percent each year for a cost to the City of $3.28 per month in the fifth year.

Waste Management will provide educational materials to launch the service, including a "recycling robot" to bring to schools.

"The City does have other costs," said Utilities Director Ken Komiske. "Including billing, processing, collections and bad debts. ... That makes up some of the difference also."

Waste Management also will award a $100 savings bond to a recycling customer chosen by its drivers.

The City of Norman's sanitation department will help with house-side recycling for the about 1 percent of Norman's population who are not able to take their recycling to the curb.

Wesner also lauded Norman's early recycling advocates, including McDonald's franchise owner Charlie Altom, Ed Copelin of Copelin's Office Supply and Dr. J.B. Pratt who owned Pratt's Grocery Store, an original site of one of the recycling dropoff centers.

"We hope to beat Edmond with the number of materials we're able to send off to Waste Management," Wesner said, adding that CORE is committed to helping with materials to help people do recycling.

The City's three recycling centers will continue to operate.

Komiske said the City will have a temporary recycling center on the east side of the parking lot at Griffin Park during winter months, to replace the eastside center that was closed down recently.

"We continue to look for a permanent location," said City Manager Steve Lewis.

Sooner Mall also may be the new location of the recycling center currently located in the Hobby Lobby parking lot.

Not everyone was happy with the curbside recycling vote.

George Eyler said if a curbside recycling bin is delivered to him, he will not pick it up.

"I feel terribly put upon," Eyler said of the mandatory $3 monthly charge approved by Norman voters. "I'm not convinced my friends or neighbors have the right to do that to me."

Rosenthal told Eyler he was "not compelled to recycle."

"The contract was amusing to read," said Sylvia Martin. "I think we bought a big pig in a poke."

Martin said she didn't believe it was right that the company could increase its rates.

"I don't intend to take anything out to the curb," she said.

Carol Cole-Frowe 366-3538 ccole@normantranscript.com