No more see-through trash bags in Chelsea; council switches back to 33-gallon opaque variety
Chelsea City Council member Frank Hammer at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
Chelsea residents will soon have their opaque, 33-gallon trash bags back.
Tuesday night, the Chelsea City Council voted unanimously to purchase the larger orange bags that have been in use in previous years and which are not see-through as are the current 30-gallon bags.
Following a lengthy discussion that explored a possible switch to stickers or tags, which residents would have attached to trash bags of their choice, the council picked a bid from Resourceful Bag & Tag for the purchase of 75,000, 33-gallon orange trash bags at a price of $13,620.
Council member Frank Hammer said he thought residents would look at buying both the tags and their own garbage bags as an extra expense.
“The $2.50 plus the bag, it moves from a service to a tax,” he said, adding that the city had tried a sticker system several years ago and “it was a disaster.”
The proposed tags were not the same ones as the city tried previously, said John Elliott, manager of the city’s solid waste department.
The current price of $2.50 per bag will remain and residents can put out as many bags as they’d like on Tuesday trash days.
The bags are sold in rolls of 10 bags that cost $25.
In June 2010, the city decided to switch from 33-gallon bags to 30-gallon ones, and residents did not like the smaller size.
City Manager John Hanifan said the office received more complaints about the reduced size than any other issue he's faced since he was hired.
In addition, residents didn’t like the bags' lighter tint because their trash could be seen through the bags.
Some residents are double bagging their garbage for privacy, placing their own bag inside the city’s bag, which costs them more money, and creates more waste.
The city’s current trash bag supply is expected to be used up by June.
Lisa Allmendinger is a regional reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.
Comments
AA
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 7:01 p.m.
I tell ya, first the ongoing cloth vs. diposable diaper debate and now this. My god people, don't we have more to think about ?
Bulldog
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 3:36 p.m.
What does Rick think of this?
ellyelly77
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 3:02 p.m.
The garbage pickup/designated bags are wonderful. I live in the city of Chelsea, and love the fact that I pay $10-12.50/month for my garbage pick up. I know people who live outside of the city who have about the same amount of waste we go through, and yet they pay $40/month. Don't knock what you don't know!
Not from around here
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 4:57 p.m.
Yes and still its a fair deal. Usage fee instead of much larger tax bill. I think if you want everything to free you might need to check with the federal administration
chelseami
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 3:20 p.m.
Did you add the taxes that we pay yearly on top of the orange bags?
Dalex64
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.
This isn't a big brother thing. Like Ypsidame said, it is to identify bags which have been paid for. Other municipalities use stickers that you have to buy. From chelseami's comment, it sounds like they have a waste managment fees collected from property taxes, and then a per-bag fee. This is more "fair" because the people who generate more trash will pay more to have it hauled away. The other option is to collect all of the waste management fees from property tax, charge everyone the same rate in mils, and give people a one-size-fits-all container which you could either fill to the brim every week, or just have one small bag, depending on your situation. In theory, that charges the people who generate less waste more than if they had a lower property tax fee and charged by the bag like Chelsea does. I say in theory, because I don't have the millage rates for Chelsea and Ann Arbor handy. Under the Chelsea setup, it should be significantly lower than Ann Arbor's. As far as not allowing private waste companies, I suppose they want to limit the number of trucks running through the city. Where I live, four different private waste companies come through each week, so 4 days a week are "garbage day"
Forever27
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 6:41 p.m.
Chelsea's property taxes aren't all that much lower than Ann Arbor's. Ypsilanti has the highest property taxes in Washtenaw County though.
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
hunh? city council determines what bags i can use for my trash? are you for real?
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Apr 28, 2011 : 1:49 a.m.
so, Not from around here, you are saying i can put trash in whatever i like, HOWEVER, it will only be picked up by the trash contractors if i put that trash in city council approved bags? sounds like i'm being held hostage for services that my taxes would pay.
Not from around here
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 4:55 p.m.
City council does not determine what bags you use, just what tey will pick up. You can haul your own trash to the dump for marginally less if you want.
Bucky Dornster
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.
Arguing over trash bags seems a bit trite considering the Hummer-driving duckling murderer issue in Ann Arbor.
xmo
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
Is government big enough yet? Telling you about how to bag your trash! Think when you vote: Do you want "HOPE & CHANGE" or just a smaller/less costly government?
Eileen
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
Judy, you're exactly right--reading the Ann Arbor News--or the Detroit News or Free Press--is like watching local news on tv...you never get the full story--you're always left asking, "But WHY?!". I don't live in Chelsea and after reading the article I still didn't understand the issue, until I read the reader comments and was able to connect the dots. Getting news shouldn't be this difficult! If only the New York Times reported on local issues!
Madhatter
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 2:14 p.m.
Any effective article will answer the following: who, what, where, when why, and how. This should be the basis for all published articles. Only facts should be used to answer those questions--not opinions. Logical fallacies should also be eliminated. The following website outlines logical fallacies: <a href="http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/" rel='nofollow'>http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/03/</a> Who - who is involved? What - what happened? where - where did it take place? when - when did it happen? why - why did it happen? how - how did it happen?
Judy Freedman
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 12:43 p.m.
Thank you, Ypsidame, for your explanation. Forever 27, you need to read it. I had the same questions as Awakened. These articles are so poorly written that one has a hard time knowing what to think.
Forever27
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 12:37 p.m.
Chelsea should just use the large garbage bins like Ann Arbor and every other city. The bags are a huge pain on the residents and unnecessarily wasteful.
City Confidential
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 12:02 p.m.
Awakened: What is your concern? This community has chosen not to include waste management in their property taxes, and therefore, if someone wants to enjoy the convenience of having garbage picked up at their home, he or she purchases identifiable bags which are priced so as to provide funding to the city for the waste management service. Residents are welcome to use whichever bag they choose, but if they want the city to pick up bags at their curb, they have to use the designated bags. They are also free to choose to pay a private waste management company and skip the city's service all together. This is actually providing more freedom and less government intrusion than many other waste management systems.
Not from around here
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 4:54 p.m.
I really doubt you got a letter stating they had to protect there union! If so print it if not retract your statement. Chelsea is a small town and having tons of Private contract trash trucks running up and down the streets at all hours of the day and night wreak the roads and keeps your neighbors up at night. W lived in a small sub up north and had seven different trash companies picking up 5 days aweek between 4am and 7am. It was a nightmare. Think of other for a change
swimmom
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.
We tried to hire a private waste management service once - which was actually much cheaper than the $2.50 per bag we were paying. Then we received a letter from the city telling us we had to use their bags to protect the union.
City Confidential
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 4:12 p.m.
If you paid for the full cost of waste management in your taxes, then you would not need to buy special bags. I don't think that Chelsea is trying to pocket the bag fees, they are probably just trying to cover the full cost of waste management. I am surprised that you are not allowed to do private waste pick up. Sounds like something to bring up at city meetings.
chelseami
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.
Ypsidame - We are not allowed to pay for private waste management or I would be doing it! The city will not allow it and we do pay for waste management in our taxes too.
chelseami
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 11:53 a.m.
Thank you! I couldn't make it to the meeting last night. I couldn't believe that there was a suggestion of stickers. What about out sourcing?? That would make the City happy and the residents!! Awakened - we only get to vote if it costs the City money. When they are saving money we don't get to but we pay for it :)
Awakened
Wed, Apr 27, 2011 : 10:45 a.m.
They tell you what bag to use? Who allowed THAT to happen?