OCEAN CITY—It will soon cost more for residents of the resort to have bulk items collected by the city after town officials this week approved an increase in the bulk pickup fees.
Resort residents currently can call the city’s public works department to pick up discarded items such as old furniture, appliances or even large tree trimmings, for example, for a modest fee. There are also private sector business that offer the same service, but the price is often higher than what the city charges.
To that end, the Mayor and Council had before them on Tuesday a request to increase the bulk pickup fees that had not been changed in nearly a decade. The request, ultimately approved by the council, would increase the fee for single item to be picked up to $40. The cost would be $75 for up to three items, and another $10 for each additional item over three. Deputy Public Works Director Woody Vickers explained the reason for the proposed hike in bulk pickup fees.
“The current bulk pickup fees were last updated in May 2013,” he said. “This fee schedule is not structured to cover cost, but simply set to balance our fees versus private industry fees. By balancing these fees, we avoid residents dumping an item on the street in the middle of the night.”
Vickers explained the town’s solid waste department was currently trying to handle a large backlog in scheduled bulk item pickups.
Why not sub- contract with haulers to provide this service “as needed” just like they do for abandoned automobiles..??? Businesses should not have to compete with government.. !!!
But wait, isn’t there only 7800 or so registered voters on the island? Who makes all that bulk trash? Our registered numbers continue to dwindle. How could this be happening with ALL the building that has transpired the last 10-15 years??? 7800+ registered voters and I just know we all can’t own those places. 7800+ get to vote in our local government and now I gotta pay more? Where are all the people?
(SNICKER SNICKER in BIG LETTERS) Making me pay more, get the owners to pay more yet they have no VOICE when it comes to electing the numb nuts in office who just wave their wands to generate revenue. They wouldn’t dare let others in – yet nothing is well. There are VACANCIES GALORE today. A monday in MID SUMMER! And yes I know they don’t control the rates – yet they are large and in charge for APPROVING all the new housing!
Margariataville soon; that huge development near the Delaware line…..etc..etc.