CHESAPEAKE — Voters in November will weigh in on whether the city should restore curbside recycling services for a monthly fee.
On Tuesday, City Council approved 8-1 a request to place an advisory referendum on the ballot in the general election. The referendum will ask voters whether City Council should “adopt an ordinance imposing a mandatory fee of up to $10 per month on all households that receive city trash service in order to reestablish curbside recycling for those households only.”
Council member Daniel Whitaker voted against it.
The ballot referendum initiative comes two years after council voted to cut the city’s free curbside recycling services to help fund a public safety plan. Since then, the city established eight public drop-off sites staff said have outperformed expectations, saved the city money, expanded access for residents and resulted in a lower contamination rate. In a June 11 briefing to council, Deputy City Manager Bob Geis said the city has collected more than 3,900 tons of recyclables since July 1, 2023. The projected collection total for fiscal year 2024 is 4,281 tons of recyclables.
The city also allows for subscription-based services, though interest has been low. As of June, Recyclops continues to offer subscription-based curbside recycling in Chesapeake starting at $26 a month per household for collection every other week. Recyclops reported collecting 148 tons of co-mingled recyclables in calendar year 2023, according to city staff.
Council initially deferred the vote at the June 11 meeting following a request that an estimated fee be included in the language of the referendum question. City Manager Chris Price said the “up to $10” fee is based on the estimated price escalation of previous curbside agreements, which he said were most recently $5.35 per month per household. The fee would cover collection, replenishment of blue can inventory, billing system setup and continued operation of four drop-off sites.
Tuesday’s vote comes as the operator of a regional waste authority is working to select a new vendor that could process, recycle, reuse and/or dispose of 100% of the region’s waste. The Southeastern Public Service Authority has an eye toward an all-in-one solution such as a single-stream, mixed waste sorting facility that would take added pressure off the Suffolk landfill. The authority handles waste for Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and some surrounding localities.
SPSA is specifically looking for technologies that could divert at least 60% of the region’s waste from the landfill. At the June 11 work session, Geis said under the previous program in Chesapeake, only 5-7% of items collected through curbside recycling were diverted from the landfill and recycled.
Council member Don Carey asked how the referendum and potential return to curbside services would impact the contract being sought by SPSA. Price said curbside recycling agreements have historically spanned five years, so if SPSA’s single-stream solution came to fruition before then, council could cancel the curbside services early again or the city would be “double paying.”
Mayor Rick West and Carey said they weren’t necessarily supportive of restoring curbside services at this time but did support posing the question to voters.
Two of the three speakers Tuesday spoke in support, but one stated he’d rather see the city fund curbside recycling services from its own coffers instead of levying another fee on residents.
The process for getting a referendum on the ballot is carried out primarily through the Circuit Court. Once council approves any resolutions calling for one, the city attorney’s office then petitions the court for a referendum order, according to City Attorney Catherine Lindley, who cites state code. If approved, the petition and order must be entered by the court at least 81 days before the Nov. 5 election in order to make it on the ballot in time.
Since it’s an advisory referendum, council will still need to decide and act on next steps after hearing from voters.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
