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 Post subject: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 6:50 am 
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A public hearing is scheduled during Thursday's Town Council meeting regarding a proposed garbage fee. The town never has charged residents for the service, Town Manager Steve Kil said.

The tab for picking up residents' garbage is about $900,000, a cost covered entirely by the town's general fund, he said.

"We're at just under a million a year," he said. "It's a lot for the general fund to pick up. We've done it as long as we possibly could."

If the Town Council adopts the ordinance Thursday, billing could begin early next year, as a line item added to the monthly water bill. The cost would be $15.82 per month per household, an amount that would increase to $16.61 in May 2010, per the town's contract with Allied Waste, once known locally as Illiana Disposal, Kil said.

"The garbage fee is designed to offset the exact cost to the town per household," he said.

Passing the fee on to residents provides relief to the general fund and allows the town to balance its budget. St. John already made spending cuts, which included cutting two employees.

"The Town Council wanted to reduce spending as much as possible before any increase in revenue was entertained," he said.

The possibility of imposing a garbage fee has been discussed extensively in the past, he said.

Earlier in the year, the Town Council considered a fee. In March, the council unanimously denied an ordinance that would put it into effect.

In October, Councilman Mark Barenie explained the town's need to close the gap on a budget deficit. Reducing expenses and increasing revenue was the solution.

Kil said that to the best of his knowledge St. John would be the last Lake County community to impose a garbage fee on its residents.

"I think people understand that trash collection costs have risen," he said. "For the most part, they knew that, sooner or later, they'd have to pay for garbage. I think it's something people actually expected."

Kil said the fee is "absolutely necessary."

Thursday's meeting, which is the last Town Council meeting of the year, begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 10955 W. 93rd Ave.

Okay in August it was $750,000, in October it was $750,000, now in December its $900,000. They add $150,000 onto the amount to make up for budget shortfalls? Give me a break. Just so you know I did some research and we will be paying the 2nd highest garbage fee in Lake County if this passes as status quo. Be at the Town Council meeting!!!!

These numbers below are from August of this year.
PORTER COUNTY
Chesterton - Able Disposal; $10.50 per month
Hebron - Allied Waste; $14.60 per month
Kouts - Allied Waste; $8 per month trash only; $11.45 for trash and recycling
Portage - Municipal; $5 per month, but likely to rise to $12 per month with a discount to $9 per month for senior citizens
Valparaiso - Municipal; $9 per month for one 96-gallon container, $6 for each additional container with a limit of four

LAKE COUNTY
Cedar Lake - Allied Waste; $15 per month
Crown Point - Allied Waste; $13.26 per month (recent increase from $9.75 per month)
Dyer - Allied Waste; $13.05 per month (recent increase from $9.25 per month)
East Chicago - Municipal; no fee information
Gary - Municipal; no fee information
Griffith - Allied Waste; $11.50 per month
Hammond - Municipal; $15 per month
Highland - Allied Waste; $13.39 per month, $12.39 for senior citizens
Hobart - Municipal; free, but contemplating charging residents
Lake Station - switching from private hauler to municipal service; $12.50 per month
Lowell - Allied Waste; $13.74 per month, but town subsidizes 70 cents per month per pick up
Merrillville - Allied Waste; $14.50 per month, $13.50 for senior citizens
Munster - Able Disposal; $19 per month
New Chicago - Able Disposal; $9 per month, subsidized by town (recent increase from $7.50 per month)
St. John - Allied Waste; no charge
Schererville - Allied Waste; $15.09 per month
Whiting - Municipal; no charge
Winfield - Allied Waste; $14.17 per month


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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:34 am 
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So much for being the last town to impose a garbage fee...

How easy it was for them to balance their budget...just pass the overages onto the taxpayers...


Maybe they should have considered that their f***ing bills would increase when they allowed the infusement of 5,000 new residents, but hey, they sit in pretty nice chairs in a pretty nice room up their at town hall. Hope it was worth it!


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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:20 pm 
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I have an idea to balance the budget.....Let's have another festival.. :mrgreen:

Time to face facts:

1) Cops run this town.
2) Cops sit on boards in this town.
3) Developers made deals with this town to build, build, build, and build - with little to no restricitions (until 4 years later).
4) Board members simply FAILED to plan for the "WHAT IFs"....Like What if we grow too fast...or What if our infrastructure comes up short....What if those building permits dry up....What if the housing market tanks.....What if we can't find tennants for our strip mall sites..

By the way, what ever happened to all of the unique shops and restaurants that this Citizens Party was going to bring in?!?!?!?!!?


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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 3:56 pm 
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They will just add on more fees like all the other towns. Stormwater Fee, fire hydrant rental fee, they will just fee us to death. And then what? I'm sorry, but I'm running outta of money for fee's. And then our property tax rates went up, so we aren't seeing as much of a decrease as others. I don't know they need to start cutting just like everyone else, turning off lights and turning down heat would help with the NIPSCO bills. Oh wait Nipscos getting ready to screw us too. :x :x :x


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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:18 pm 
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When the bible thumper group wanted to build a church on 93rd across from Schilton Hills, (fortunately they did not have all of their paperwork in order), the town stated that even though the property was 75% wetlands, the 5 year town plan dictated that it would be eventually zoned residential. When it was suggested that these "wetlands" remain "wetlands", the council woman stated that "the 5 year plan dictates that this should be zoned residential, and, the 5 year plan has worked out like a charm so far, so, the property will be zoned residential.
When it was suggested that sometimes, even though one may make a 5 year plan for themselves, circumstances change and changes need to be made to the plan. The council woman said, no, no, no, we will just stick to the 5 year plan.

I would guess that the 5 year plan did NOT include a national resession, collapse of the housing market, collapse of credit and loans, collapse of new business creation, etc. I wonder if St John is still sticking to the frickin plan now.


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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:45 am 
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newt_fan wrote:
I have an idea to balance the budget.....Let's have another festival.. :mrgreen:

Time to face facts:

1) Cops run this town.
2) Cops sit on boards in this town.
3) Developers made deals with this town to build, build, build, and build - with little to no restricitions (until 4 years later).
4) Board members simply FAILED to plan for the "WHAT IFs"....Like What if we grow too fast...or What if our infrastructure comes up short....What if those building permits dry up....What if the housing market tanks.....What if we can't find tennants for our strip mall sites..

By the way, what ever happened to all of the unique shops and restaurants that this Citizens Party was going to bring in?!?!?!?!!?


Kind of a shame that most people don't understand these "facts." Hmmmm. :shock: :smt006

_________________
"President Xanax"


Last edited by comedian on Fri Dec 19, 2008 7:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: St. John to consider garbage fee again
PostPosted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:31 pm 
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I figured it out, now I know why they want a $150,000 extra. They want to purchase

Image
The lady liberty replica that that company from Griffith made. It up for auction on e-bay and they want to purchase it in honor of themselves,"The Citizens Party".

http://cgi.ebay.com/Statue-of-Liberty-1 ... 7C294%3A50


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