Warren panel wants to expand market for city garbage hauling

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Garbage haulers serving suburban areas outside the city may have a little more competition in the coming months if city officials agree with a council committee.

Council’s Health and Welfare Committee agreed Tuesday to recommend passage of legislation that would expand the market area for the Warren Environmental Services Department.

If legislation is approved by council as early as Feb. 25, the city would be able to collect refuse from residential customers more than five miles from the environmental services department headquarters at 613 Main Ave. S.W.

Currently, the city can pick up residential refuse from any customer within five miles of the headquarters at South Park Avenue and Fulton Street for the same price as customers who live within the city.

The change would allow the city to begin trash collection to locations such as the Timber Creek neighborhood in Bazetta Township, said Renee Cicero, department manager.

The cost would be $15.50 per month, whereas the cost for those within five miles is $14.37.

Only homeowners with city water are eligible to receive the service, Cicero said, because without city water, there would be no way to bill for the garbage collection.

Though price is a factor, Warren garbage collection provides many intangible benefits other area haulers do not offer, Cicero said.

The city provides a free 96-gallon rubber container to customers and provides better service, said Councilman James “Doc” Pugh, D-6th, one of the committee members.

The proposal to widen the Warren garbage collection area is being done to ensure that the environmental services division remains fiscally sound, Cicero said.

As the population of the city decreases, resulting in lost customers, it’s necessary to add customers outside the city to replace them, Cicero explained.