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County Lines Up Recycling Forum

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By JULIA FERRANTE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 10, 2007

DADE CITY - They've talked about it dozens of times in recent years, but commissioners have yet to set on a strategy for building recycling in Pasco County.

Board members agree it makes sense to increase collections of discarded plastic bottles, aluminum cans and glass and to reduce the amount of trash processed at their waste-to-energy plant on Hays Road.

Finding a way to pay for an expanded program and selling the idea to residents is another story.

Recycling advocates for years have pushed the county commission to boost recycling - with ideas from offering hard-sided bins rather than the current-issue blue bags to making the voluntary program mandatory.

Each time the commission takes up the topic, however, the discussion stops midstream, either because of time constraints or seemingly insurmountable obstacles - such as cost, difficulties for haulers or lack of staffing to tackle the issue, commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand noted at a meeting Tuesday in Dade City.

'This is really a big topic, and we need to talk trash on it,' Hildebrand said, as the clock approached noon, the board's scheduled lunchtime, and a two-hour meeting tape was about to run out.

After commissioners reconvened, they set a workshop on solid waste and recycling for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey.

Commissioner Michael Cox, who also noted that commissioners 'keep on talking about it, and we give our staff no direction,' has suggested recycling be mandatory. He asked county staff to consider having haulers itemize costs for trash and recycling to remind residents they pay for the service already.

Hildebrand was not so sure recycling should be required when not all residents have trash pickup. Some rural communities share the cost of trash bins. Other larger subdivisions contract with haulers for special rates.

Pasco has awarded licenses to nine haulers, said Rachel Surrency, the county's recycling coordinator. Polk County, which recycles a much larger percentage of reusable goods, including newspaper, has one hauler to handle recyclables.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri has long pushed the idea of building recycling one ZIP code at a time, as neighboring Hernando has. On Tuesday, she suggested targeting larger community development districts.

'We are the king of CDDs,' Mulieri said. 'I wonder about some of the management companies. That may be one way to go.'

Commissioner Ted Schrader said the board could require developers to have recycling dropoff centers.

County Administrator John Gallagher said commissioners need to decide how much they are willing to spend on recycling, create a master plan and find ways to promote their efforts. Haulers should be part of the discussion, too, he said. Some companies have equipment to increase collections. Others do not. Officials also must decide whether they want to split the responsibility or award a franchise to the lowest bidder.

'To me, it's easy to recycle in this county,' he said. 'I don't have to carry it in my truck. I put it right in front of my house, and it's gone.'

Also Tuesday, Schrader expressed objections to an unidentified business that is considering building near Interstate 75 and State Road 52.

Schrader said officials from the business, which he would not identify, have approached the Pasco Economic Development Council about their plans and said they would need between 2 million and 3 million gallons of water per day, 365 days per year, to operate. The commissioner argued that allowing that kind of consumption flies in the face of one-day-per-week watering restrictions imposed on residents. Cox, who sits on the EDC, said he has similar concerns.

In other business, commissioners:

•Rejected a special magistrate's recommendation to rehear a petition by developers of Coyote Crossings, who want to build 14 houses, rather than five, on nearly 19 acres in Hudson.

•Allowed Clerk of the Court Jed Pittman to declare a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban surplus so he may trade it in for a newer, different model that fits his needs.

•Approved an ordinance allowing property owners to have their claims of vested rights heard before the county commission.

•Approved an amendment to a Wiregrass Development of Regional Impact order. The state Department of Community Affairs is expected to drop its objections to the order within a week.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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