Ashtabula Extends Curbside Recycling Citywide After Nine Years

ASHTABULA, Ohio – Ashtabula City Council voted July 6 to extend curbside recycling to every ward. The decision ends a program that reached only part of the city for nearly a decade. Members approved buying recycling and rubbish containers from Wastequip. The final tally was 5 to 1. A nine year wait ends Wards 1, 2 and part of Ward 3 have had curbside recycling for about nine years. Residents in Wards 3, 4 and 5 paid the same trash fees without the same service. City Manager James Timonere said the original program started small to test the idea without buying new trucks. Fairness versus finances The expansion drew sharp debate. Supporters pushed a message they called One City, One Standard. One councilor said equal fees should mean equal service. A resident had labeled the long delay favoritism, a word that stung several officials. President of Council John Roskovics rejected that framing and cast the lone no vote. He said the issue was money and fiscal caution, not favoritism. Roskovics also warned about uncertainty in state funding from Columbus. He called it “offensive” to accuse the council of playing favorites. Timonere said he owned the situation and understood the frustration. He agreed nine years was long enough. What it costs and what comes next The containers cost about $290,000. The city will apply about $60,000 left from an earlier recycling grant. The county solid waste district agreed to cover cart delivery and educational materials. Timonere said the carts take about four weeks to arrive. Garbage pickup will shift to Monday through Thursday. Recycling will run on alternating Fridays by area. Full rollout will take a couple of months. The city manager noted the first recycling area cut landfill costs by 20 to 25 percent. Less waste at the landfill also lowers tipping fees, he said. Watch the Meeting Watch the July 6 Ashtabula City Council meeting: Ashtabula’s Recycling Fairness Showdown and School Recovery .