PAYT is DEAD. Again.

Talk about recycling. PAYT was declared dead on April 30, 2015. See PAYT is DEAD. Then on May 27, 2015, I wrote that PAYT is being recycled again. Highlights from the commission meeting Fast forward to January 3, 2017 when Susan Morgans was going to make us feel good about solid waste and PAYT, now called SMART, in her memorandum to Manager Keith McGill. Desperately Seeking Susan UPDATED

Somehow I missed this news from the March 3, 2017 PG. Beverly Road may get more parking; pay-as-you-throw tossed in Mt. Lebanon

"After nearly an hour of debate Monday, commissioners decided not to further pursue a pay-as-you-throw garbage collection program, after analysis indicated that it could cost some residents more than the current system." 

“Not one person has expressed an interest in pay-as-you-throw, but they are interested in weekly recycling,” Commissioner Stephen McLean said about the emails and calls he has received on the issue."

PAYT is DEAD. Again.

Wow! SMART/PAYT people will not be happy to read this UPDATED

Is recycling really the best way to keep plastic out of the oceans?

Update February 13, 2017 5:53 PM A reminder to Lebo Citizens Readers - I will not be accepting anonymous comments for this thread. The good news is that Dave Brumfield and Company want to hear from YOU concerning PAYT. Lebo commissioners hoping for resident feedback on trash collections

Also, a copy of the feasibility study presented to the commissioners in September 2014 is available here.

Six of seven panel members, regardless of their opinion of PAYT, agree that PAYT is not the most pressing issue in the community.

I'm sure these two important points from the document will never be highlighted in MTL's propaganda.

• Winners and Losers: Some groups (renters, large families and residents on fixed incomes) may find it difficult to reduce the amounts of MSW that they place at the curbside and/or pay for the bags or tags that will be required by the program.

• Administration Costs: The new system will require adequate ongoing funding for supervision, billing, enforcement, outreach, and education. These costs may offset gains from savings.

Ongoing funding. My recent salary post shows what happens to "administrative" costs. The additional annual municipal staffing will eventually will eventually overtake any PAYT savings to the municipality and land on the backs of homeowners.

Priorities and another service eliminated UPDATED

From the Manager's Recommended 2017 Budget page 6 - recommended on November 1, 2016:

At the October 3, 2013 Sports Advisory Board meeting, the condition of the aging ice rink was brought to the SAB's attention. Additionally, Commissioner John Bendel addressed the SAB members and asked how they wanted to spend their pot of gold. It was on the meeting video, but for some strange reason, that video is no longer available on the Mt. Lebanon website. Of course.

However, I have the link to that video from a blog posting:

Update November 3, 2014 3:19 PM In addition to the videos that Albert Turfstein provided, please view the October 3, 2013 Sports Advisory Board Meeting. Click on Turf Project and watch Tim White say, "Mr. Bendel pissed away all the money we had."

John Bendel went around the room and asked each member how they wanted to spend the remaining funds from the original $829,000 unassigned funds. The minutes show that the "consensus on the board was that Middle and Wildcat fields would be the preferred location."

Apparently getting the turf passed was more important that the ice rink. Priorities.

Another service no longer provided by the Municipality is their notary service. 

Keep cutting back on services, Mt. Lebanon, but take care of the special interest groups. Kill those deer. Turf those fields. Ignore the ice rink which is enjoyed by the public. Eliminate our solid waste collection service. Great job.

Update January 8, 2017 7:29 PM I forgot to include the bids for the ice rink. Alternates are also listed. Keith McGill added, "The probable opinion of cost was developed by Gateway Engineers in conjunction with Stantec who is consulting on the project."

PAYT in Peters - Not so much UPDATED

When I saw this article in The Almanac, I thought, "This could be us if PAYT comes to fruition."

Delinquents owe $82,000 for garbage collection

Some residents are not paying as they throw in Peters Township, resulting in this:

PAYT does not appear to be working in Peters Township. Government officials are now dealing with legal action against delinquents. On the bright side, Mt. Lebanon commissioners can take all the legal action they want because of the agreement they have with their solicitor. It won't cost Mt. Lebanon a dime extra (think MTL's case against me), but the downside is that we will see more of what is pictured above. Not only will Mt. Lebanon be dealing with delinquents, we also have hoarders here. There, I said it. There are people in Mt. Lebanon who do not part with anything. Hoarding will increase if there will be a separate fee for solid waste removal.

Peters Township is rethinking their PAYT system.

He suggested that township officials consider changing how residents are charged for waste collection. 

“I think, as part of next year’s budget cycle, we should look seriously at the possibility of incorporating that into the taxes,” he said. “There are lots of reasons to do it. The downside is that it results in a substantial tax increase. But it eliminates these problems with liens, and it eliminates lot of the fees associated with trying to collect.”

Susan, how does this fit in with your memorandum to Keith? Are you going to call up The Almanac and complain that they printed such "trash?" I'm willing to bet that mentioning "hoarders" and "Mt. Lebanon" in the same sentence did not sit too well with you. But this is the real world.

Commissioners, are you listening?

Update January 6, 2017 12:36 PM

Then there is this one:

I could do this all day.

Desperately Seeking Susan UPDATED

What would we do without the Public Information Officer? Susan Morgans sent out a memorandum to Keith McGill and shared her plans to make us feel good about solid waste and PAYT, now called SMART. Mt. Lebanon can count on Susan to put a positive spin on everything, including garbage.

PIO PAYT Memorandum









Update January 3, 2017 8:10 PM I thought it would be appropriate to include this portion of last week's Commissioners' Administrative Report from Keith McGill.

This isn't the first time there have been delivery issues with the print edition of mtl Magazine. See Update on mtl Magazine delivery

Revamping the Stormwater Management Fee

I'm sure by now, you have all received your 2017 Stormwater Management Fee. Some people have referred to this fee as a "rain tax." Each single family home, duplex, or townhome is charged for one Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), regardless of size. All other properties, including places of worship, are charged 1 ERU for each 2,400 square feet of impervious surface.

Every home is charged a yearly fee of $96.00, or $94.08 if paid by 1/31/2017. Some homes in Mt. Lebanon have leach beds, which do not feed into the stormwater management system, yet are still charged a stormwater fee. Starter homes in Mt. Lebanon are charged the same amount as the mansions in Virginia Manor.

While the commissioners contemplate PAYT or SMART, whichever is the acronym du jour, perhaps they should take a step back and look at how inequitable their rain tax is.

Also, take note of what Jordan Tax Service charges us for our sewage bill. It is a flat rate of $4.36 per bill.  I am paying, on average, close to a monthly 28% fee. I questioned this service charge with Jordan Tax Service, only to be told that it is what Mt. Lebanon agreed to pay. When bringing it to Andrew McCreery's attention, I was told that is what Jordan is charging us, and Mt. Lebanon has no control of it. It sounded negotiable to me. So which is it?

While on the subject of utilities, I spoke with an electrical supplier about negotiating a municipal rate. It is possible, but when I presented the idea to the commissioners, the idea was rejected.

When all of these inequities are corrected, I will be the first one to praise PAYT/SMART, but until then, it is just another bad idea coming from the Municipal Building.

Discussions continue on ‘SMART’ trash collection in Mt. Lebanon | The Almanac UPDATED 2X

A guest blogger who wishes to remain anonymous asked me to post this. If you have a post you would like me to share, email me at EGillen476@aol.com. 

Are people getting the message yet? Probably not!!!

"Baram asked commissioners to not use the $20,000 in the 2016 budget to “engage the community for the input needed to customize a possible program,” with the hope of spending it in 2017 for educational purposes."

NOT ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR INPUT-- of course not! Better to use the $20,000 for indoctrination.

Discussions continue on ‘SMART’ trash collection in Mt. Lebanon

Then there is this from your blog:

"Mr. Meduho,
To continue to expend staff time to provide a response to numbers that are subject to change is an inefficient and fiscally irresponsible use of taxpayer funds, therefore there will be no further response to these requests."

In other words... they'll tell us what they want us to know when they're good and ready and not before.

Coupled with your RTK case and it's obvious who works for who.

Update December 15, 2016 2:39 PM Receipt for commissioners' pre-meeting meal. $119.50 for Lebo Subs.

Update December 16, 2016 6:58 AM The comment from Not Too Smart at 6:15 AM got me thinking about snow removal. This idea could save the municipality millions too. Will we get a tax decrease for saving Mt. Lebanon millions? Yeah, like that will happen. A reduction in services while our taxes increase is how our commissioners think. Our SMART commissioners will vote for it!

Mt. Lebanon Considers Shifting Cost Of Trash Hauling To Individual Homeowner

Mt. Lebanon Considers Shifting Cost Of Trash Hauling To Individual Homeowner

Delano: “What’s the guarantee that the next year and the next year and the next year, you don’t raise the millage back up again?”
Brumfeld [sic]: “Oh, there’s absolutely no guarantee.”
With lots of options under the pay-as-you-throw system from charging residents per trash bin, or requiring paid tags, or requiring special higher-priced trash bags, some residents say why fix something that works well.
“I do like the system the way that it is now,” says resident Lois Larry. “You don’t have to estimate how many containers am I going to have.”
I wonder what the Public Information Office thinks of Dave Brumfield speaking with the TV station.

"Once the TV stations and the blog starts, the situation is out of our control - and it is my office that looks bad," said Susan Morgans in a Right To Know.

Highlights from the commission meeting

I didn't go to the commission meeting last night, so I am relying on Matt Santoni's Twitter feed and callers who attended part of the meeting.

1. Matthew Santoni ‏@msantoni  12h12 hours ago

   #MtLebo sets June 9 hearing for shorter public notice for debt, removing 4-vote supermajority for borrowing. Would get Nov. referendum.

   12 hours ago
2. 
   
3. Matthew Santoni ‏@msantoni  12h12 hours ago
   .@MtLebanonPolice Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth is promoted to McDonough's position, unanimously confirmed by commission.

I hope the super vote issue is a dead issue. I will be watching out for that one when the video is posted this afternoon.

Congrats to Aaron Lauth, who will be our new chief of police! Dan Miller and Matt Smith honored Coleman McDonough, retiring police chief.

PAYT is being recycled again. All the comments were about PAYT. Only one spoke against it. The pro PAYT folks will be counting on Chief Lauth and his force for becoming the trash patrol, moving up from corn police.

The one anti PAYT resident had concerns about all the apartment buildings in the area. Many have seen that TV sitting on Kenmont for weeks. Kelly Fraasch, the remaining commissioner who is for PAYT, assured everyone that she lives near apartment buildings where leaving furniture and other large items has never been a problem.

As one pro PAYT resident assured the anti PAYT resident, the police don't have anything else to do. Definitely. There are no drug issues or speeders to deal with in Mt. Lebanon. 

Where were all the PAYT people when the commission approved toxic turf at Middle and Wildcat Fields?

PAYT is DEAD

According to The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania (Municipality), for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, Pay as You Throw is off the table.

In early 2014, the Commission requested a panel be formed to evaluate the feasibility of a Payas-you-throw (PAYT) program in the Municipality. The panel consisted of municipal staff, members of the Environmental Sustainability Board and Municipality residents. A PAYT program is reliant on user fees for residential solid waste. Since collection is currently paid for with general tax revenue, the Municipality would have to remove a portion of the solid waste cost from the General Fund tax revenue if this program would be a fit for the Municipality. In the short term, the Commission has decided not to commence a PAYT program in 2015. Further consideration of a PAYT program will be on the Commission priority list in future years. The results of the feasibility study can be found on the municipal website at http://www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?NID=2190.*

Commissioners Fraasch and Linfante brought this program to the Commission.

*Page 6 of the CAFR or page 12 of 177.

Sorry, but I had to walk out of Citizen Comments UPDATED 2X

What is the expression?
"This is bullshit and I am going home. I'm too old for this."
                                                         -T. Kelley

Boy, can I relate, Tom. Only thing is that I am a taxpayer and volunteer.

Here are my comments, and I will put up the commissioners' and manager's responses once I calm down.

There are four points I would like to make. So that I don't run out of time, I would like to read through them, and will wait for a response to all four points.

1. Some clarification please. We have been told on numerous occasions that if we have a question within the municipality, we should contact the PIO for information. I'm finding that is not the case when I needed assistance with the Brewfest poster. I never received any kind of acknowledgement or assistance from the Public Information Office. Should I be contacting my non-responsive commissioners, our municipal manager who has his hands full with RTKs or keep trying to contact the PIO?

2. I want to comment on Mt. Lebanon Advisory Boards.
I had contacted the Historic Preservation on several occasions concerning the historic Wildcat Field and the turf project. I received this response from Bill Callahan on 7:31.14

"As much as is possible, I separate my professional duties from my volunteer position on the HPB. My role as a member of that Board is, to the best of my abilities and within a volunteer framework, to provide technical expertise and, hopefully, the benefit of over 25 years’ experience in the field."

Fast forward to the August 18, 2014 Mt. Leb. Historic Preservation Board
Meeting. On page two of the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board minutes under Staff Liaison Report:

Susan Morgans reported that the permit application that
would allow construction on the turf project has been “lost,” somewhere between the DEP and the PA Historical And Museum Commission. The PHMC needs to comment on the permit for any construction involving federal or state funds in areas that could be eligible for National Register Status. He noted that when and if his office receives the application, there should be no problem—the park contains non-conforming resources and there would be no impact on any historic structures. He is working with the municipality and the DEP to identify what is holding things up.

"He" being Bill Callahan, PHMC Community Preservation Coordinator for the Western Region and Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board member is using his connections on the PHMC to push through the Wildcat Field Turf Project.

On Page 10 of National Register of Historic Places , Main Park is considered a contributing site to the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.
The park itself, which features ball fields, playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts, is considered a contributing site, but the recreation center, tennis center, and current pool house that have been built within the park after the period of significance are considered non-contributing buildings.

I am asking for Mr. Callahan's resignation because he does NOT separate his professional duties from his volunteer position. He will be using his position to push through the turf project for ballfields that are clearly contributing sites in the Mt. Lebanon Historic District.

I'm also asking for the chair of the ESB to resign. Through a RTK, she made some disturbing statements to our commission president about me, including dealing with me by setting me on fire.

3. I would like to get a detailed report of the meeting that occurred on Friday between Gateway and the DEP and ACCD.

4. During the discussion of PAYT, Promotion of sustainability
how does artificially turfing two ball fields promote sustainability, Kristen?

Brief responses:
1. Steve Feller said that I can address any problems that I have with the PIO with him.

2. No resignations. Kristen denied hearing anything about igniting me. I am always asking for resignations from people I do not agree with. ESB comment must have been a "typo."

3. No report was given to them, so no report will be given tonight. I doubt the commission even knew that Gateway was called to the DEP.

4. I ran out of time, so Kristen, I was corrected and need to address her as Commissioner Linfante, did not answer and reminded me more than once that I was out of time.

I am so sick of the crap that is being dealt out of that municipal building. I have posted the Right To Know where Kathy Hrabovsky joked about igniting. No apology. Nothing. We have a member on the Historic Preservation Board who will push his personal agenda, at Mt. Lebanon's expense. Susan Morgans can continue to be the municipal diva who can sit on my recorder TWICE, ignore my emails, sarcastically tell a junior commissioner candidate that I am "the keeper of the door" when I was trying to explain that the interview process had begun. The commission president can allow those to finish their statements, if they are in favor of deer culling, but interrupts me and anyone else who disagrees with her. What has my hometown become?

Sorry, Folks. I had to walk out.


Update September 23, 2014 7:18 PM Mt. Lebanon officials waver on pay-per-throw trash (Saved in Google Docs)

Update September 25, 2014 7:57 AM So now what? I contacted Manager Steve Feller and never heard back. Don't miss the solution offered by "Commissioner Linfante."

Public Information Office on Instagram

This is what I am dealing with UPDATED

Through the Right To Know which I am still working through, I found Kristen's letter where she told fellow commissioners how the ESB Chair had Kristen "insist" on artificial turf. I posted it here and also sent it to the ESB, minus the ESB Chair, since I had an old email address of hers and did not have her new one. I sent further communication to the entire ESB concerning the RTK, including the ESB Chair, after I had a current list of emails.

I had a feeling that Kristen Linfante would weigh in on this email exchange, so I filed a Right To Know asking for all emails to or from Kristen Linfante concerning the ESB Chair, Elaine Gillen, Lebo Citizens from August 1, 2014 to and including August 3, 2014.

I love how Kristen still thinks I ran against her. I'm flattered that she would think that I would remove the word "organic" myself. I'm good, Kristen, but I'm not THAT good.

I don't see the humor in the ESB Chair's statement that Autocorrect suggested that igniting me is the only way to deal with me. I also don't appreciate the libelous statements made about me.

Here is the email exchange from my latest RTK.

Update August 19, 2014 7:31 AM After the ESB Chair joked about igniting me, she asked about Kristen's trip out west. Here ya go, Kathy. NEXT Up: Kristen Linfante Third summer that my commissioner has been MIA. By the way, no apology from the ESB Chair or Miss Kristen. Oh, how some women are permitted to behave around here.

Pay As You Throw Still A Go?

As of today, PAYT is still a possibility. It certainly got Waste Management's attention. On October 15, Waste Management looked at this blog EIGHTEEN times. There seems to be some conflicting information. WM told me that Cranberry does not have PAYT. Kelly Fraasch disagreed. When I spoke (briefly) with Kelly today, she said that she is working on a blog post, and will post it soon.

Matt Kluck wants to have a discussion as to the pros and cons of PAYT. He asked Tom Kelley to present them at the October 28, 2013 Discussion Session.

PAYT, contrary to the anonymous comment indicating otherwise, may still become a reality.

How does The Lebo Citizens Team sound?

I have been curious about the Lebogreen.org website ever since I posted their call for action on my post, Just so you know, Pay As You Throw.

Kristen Linfante answered my questions to the commission, "Who funds lebogreen.org and who is the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team?"

"The Environmental Team is not a municipal board - it is a group that works often with the ESB, and they have a rep on the ESB, but they are not affiliated.
Kristen Linfante"

Still wanting more information, Kristen responded to my second email.

"Not a single tax dollar goes to the Environmental Team or their website. It is a completely volunteer group. One of their members created the site and manages it. This group is not affiliated with the municipality or the SD.
Kristen Linfante"

Under Rob Papke's beautiful photo on About Us, I learned more about The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team.

The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team is a group of local Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania) citizen volunteers devoted to improving the environment by working with residents, elected officials, institutions, businesses and the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board. The team is dedicated to responding to the global and local economic, social and environmental challenges associated with energy demand and human contributions to climate change and to improve the effects of these changes on our community and neighbors.
Get involved by joining the team. Sign up by sending us an email.

Then it hit me. Here is a group of citizen volunteers who work with elected officials and the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board. Elected officials who push their personal agendas with boards who are appointed by ELECTED OFFICIALS. How does this citizen group get to work with elected officials and the ESB? Is it because they are friends of elected officials?

What about the hundreds of people who read this blog? I can't say there are hundreds who disagree with our elected officials, but why can't we have a say in things? We have a board chosen by elected officials who work with friends of the elected officials. How fair is that? Who is representing those who  disagree with these people? Why can't there be boards who represent the rest of us?

Look at the whole PAYT debate. The Environmental Sustainability Board and The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team are pushing it. Who is representing those who don't want it? What about the storm water fee? Who represented the folks who didn't want to get stuck with that fee?

We're told by the Commission that the Community Relations Board (staff liaison is Susan Morgans, commission liaison is Dave Brumfield) will be sponsoring a public discussion about deer in Mt. Lebanon.  Community Relations Board Minutes from July 10, 2013 Funny how the two CRB women at the discussion session never heard about Lebo Citizens. Dave Brumfield, you know the guy who was against killing deer, who suddenly thinks that a deer cull is a good idea, and Susan Morgans, who asked me in 2006 and 2007, "How many times are you going to tell us that deer culling isn't safe? You tell us over and over." are asking the Community Relations Board to sponsor a meeting about deer. Puleeze. That is as bad as Dave Brumfield organizing a "Sports Advisory Board" which is represented by primarily by field sports dads who are drooling for artificial turf.

It isn't just on the municipal side of our local government. It is happening with the school district too. Who represents the math parents? How about the four thousand people who wanted to scale down the renovation project? Or how about all the fees that parents are now facing? The teachers can't help. The administrators? The school board? I don't think so. There are no groups representing us, the non elected, non appointed members of the community.

So how about it? What about a Lebo Citizens Team? When are the rest of us going to have a say in things? The elected officials and the soon-to-be elected officials claim they don't read the blog. And please don't tell us that we can do that at the polls. That is a bunch of dog crap from Williamsburg Park.

No PAYT?

No Pay As You Throw? Now I am really confused. Lebomag.com added new trash, recycling contract on deck under Lebo Latest:

new trash, recycling contract on deck

Merle Jantz

Mt. Lebanon’s trash and recycling contract expires at the end of the year. For the next few weeks, staff and commissioners will be evaluating several options for the next five-year contract.
This year, there were two bidders for the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG) trash collection contract, Waste Management, the current contractor, and Republic Services. The companies were asked to bid on a number of options in addition to the service residents currently receive.  Each of the 19 SHACOG communities will be able to choose from the menu of services before agreeing to a contract.
“There is a lot more to consider this year, and all of the options have a cost attached to them,” says public works director Tom Kelley, who has been working to shape the various proposals.
One option involves a move to automated recycling collection beginning in April 2015. Residents would be provided with recycling carts that would be picked up by trucks that are equipped with automated arms. This would require the purchase and distribution of trash carts throughout the community, and time to launch an education campaign.
Also under discussion is the possibility of on-call pickup of household hazardous waste, such as paint thinner and cleaning solvents, and of electronics, such as computers, printers and televisions. All of these items are prohibited from being lodged in landfills in Pennsylvania.
Presently, Mt. Lebanon schedules e-waste collection days, and residents can take household chemicals to one of several collections days scheduled by Allegheny County. If Mt. Lebanon adopts the new provision of the trash contract, residents will be able to contact the waste hauling contractor to arrange for special pickup of these items.
The commission has until the end of the year to make a decision on what will be contained in the new contract. If you would like to weigh in on trash and recycling options, contact the commission at commission@mtlebanon.org. You can also leave comments online at the Agendas and Minutes section of the municipal website, www.mtlebanon.org.
To view the bid document, click here

Are we seeing the staff take a stand? I know that Manager Steve Feller and Public Works Director Tom Kelley were not thrilled with PAYT. I learned today that Cranberry was happy to switch to PAYT only because there were FIVE different companies picking up trash on the same streets. Evidently, the ESB (Environmental Sustainability Board) has not received all the facts in order to make a recommendation. I believe they now want to do a study before they support PAYT. I know there are many people waiting to see numbers. Just because it works in CA doesn't mean that it works here.

If you haven't contacted the commission about PAYT, contact them at commission@mtlebanon.org. Don't bother looking up ESB minutes or agendas, because there are none available. Incidentally, the Commission liaison for the ESB is...Kristen Linfante.

Pay As You Throw

I missed Monday's Commission Discussion Session about a program that is being considered by the Commission.  It is called, "Pay As You Throw" (PAYT).  I asked Matt Kluck and Kelly Fraasch about this back in January, after stumbling across this document Recycling Technical Assistance Project #509. I was concerned about another fee being issued.  My question was, "Will we have to pay for garbage pick up?"

Matt replied with:

Elaine,
Only if the municipality decides to increase the frequency of recyclables collection or the state mandates it.
MK

Kelly replied with:

I will say after living in 6 states, we are behind in our collection systems.  Part of our program is very broken and we are paying out the nose for it.  If we can trim back some of these costs, I think it’s worth investigating...Remember we pay per pound for all our garbage. We pay a flat fee for recycling. It could help us to enhance and find incentives for recycling (residential and commercial).

From Lebomag.com

Michele Nestor, president of Nestor Resources, a solid waste consulting and project management company, talked to the commission last night about the feasibility of introducing a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) trash collection system here.

PAYT programs charge residents for trash collection based on how much trash they generate. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 213 municipalities in the state have some kind of PAYT program. The benefits of this kind of system are an increase in recycling, and residents are only charged for the amount of trash they generate.

Some of the challenges are, the need for creating a new billing system to accommodate the change, and residents could perceive it as a new tax. Also, “Disposal is already cheap here,” says Nestor. “About 75 percent of the cost of disposal is fuel and labor, and those trucks are going to roll down the street every day anyway.”

Some other possibilities to promote recycling are a program called Recycle Bank, where people receive grocery coupons and other incentives for decreasing their trash footprint. A drawback, says Nestor, is that there is a cost associated with the program, approximately $15 per household per year, and in one survey, about 50 percent of residents registered, and of those, only about 10 percent used the service on a regular basis. Some communities have had success with a “secret shopper” approach, where a trash-day inspection will reward one or a few residents each week for showing good recycling practices.

“Or, you could just give out bigger bins for recycling,” says Nestor, something that could be done as part of a campaign to educate residents more about the advantages of the single-stream recycling Mt. Lebanon currently employs. Public Works Director Tom Kelley mentioned that his department often received positive feedback following stories in mtl Magazine about various aspects of recycling.

Despite the potential resistance to the program (or anything new), Nestor believes that PAYT is the way of the future.

Commissioners were open to exploring the possibilities of increasing Mt. Lebanon’s recycling output while decreasing its landfill footprint. Both Kelly Fraasch and Kristen Linfante moved here from PAYT communities, and both expressed a desire to see it work here.

Mt. Lebanon and the rest of the communities in the South Hills Council of Governments will be negotiating a new trash and recycling contract this year.

For more information about pay as you throw options, check out the EPA’s website, http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/index.htm.

Since I missed the meeting, I was hoping to learn more about the PAYT  discussion here.