By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
PLUMSTED – The quarterly cost of garbage collection services in Plumsted will be going up.
Plumsted Municipal Utilities Authority Executive Director Peter Ylvisaker said the move to raise the quarterly bill from $74 to $80 came as the result of the authority’s contract with Waste Management.
“We are starting to see deficits in the future, so we are imposing a rate increase,” Ylvisaker said.
The PMUA has a contract with Waste Management to collect and dispose of the community’s solid waste.
Although Ylvisaker said the increases have been ongoing in accordance with the terms of the contract between the two parties, he said the PMUA has worked to keep the cost stable for residents.
“We held the price at $74 per quarter since we started in July 2011, but it’s just a simple matter of economics that the contract prices are going up,” he said. “We are not trying to make money here, we are just trying to cover our costs for solid waste.”
Ylvisaker and other PMUA representatives will attend a special hearing at the Plumsted municipal building at 6:30 p.m. May 17 to outline the details of the rate increase to members of the public. Residents may offer their comments on the proposal at that time.