MONROE - Spring Cleanup Days for the city is one step closer to a referendum vote this November.
The Monroe Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to move ahead with the idea.
Determining whether to have the program reinstated after a six-year hiatus was one of Mayor Bill Ross's goals for the city this year. He recommended a November referendum and to have the cleanup program financed by an additional charge on the city's utility bills.
City Administrator Phil Rath estimated the total cost to the city for the program in 2015 would be about $188,000, which includes all labor and vehicle expenses.
That amount would result in a charge of about $4.11 per month, or $12.32 per quarter, in addition to their trash fees, for each of the city's 3,800 utility customers.
The total cost of the program in 2008 was about $92,000, Rath said. The program cost used to be part of the city's tax levy amount.
Rath said hiring a private company to do the work is a viable option to the city crews doing additional work over a two-week period.
Alderman Jeff Newcomer suggested the city also look at offering Spring Cleanup Days every other year.
The issue will come back to the council for a final vote, once city staff has worked out details of the program, the cost for the option of hiring a private company and the referendum wording.
When the program went dormant, cut from the 2009 budget, the city implemented a series of self-supporting programs to help residents dispose of large, bulky and environmentally unsafe items. Citizens pay a per-item fee to have city crews pickup and haul away. The city also offers free or low-cost drop-off options throughout the year, for such items as tires and brush.
Alderman Koch pointed out that most everything picked up during Spring Cleanup Days can already be picked up by the city.
"We really don't need this program if people would follow those procedures," he said.
But returning the service has never been far from the hearts of the city's citizens, who have asked about it ever since, Ross said.
He told the council in April that a referendum would give citizens the choice to bring back the popular program and the added cost, and will "put the issue to bed."
The Monroe Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to move ahead with the idea.
Determining whether to have the program reinstated after a six-year hiatus was one of Mayor Bill Ross's goals for the city this year. He recommended a November referendum and to have the cleanup program financed by an additional charge on the city's utility bills.
City Administrator Phil Rath estimated the total cost to the city for the program in 2015 would be about $188,000, which includes all labor and vehicle expenses.
That amount would result in a charge of about $4.11 per month, or $12.32 per quarter, in addition to their trash fees, for each of the city's 3,800 utility customers.
The total cost of the program in 2008 was about $92,000, Rath said. The program cost used to be part of the city's tax levy amount.
Rath said hiring a private company to do the work is a viable option to the city crews doing additional work over a two-week period.
Alderman Jeff Newcomer suggested the city also look at offering Spring Cleanup Days every other year.
The issue will come back to the council for a final vote, once city staff has worked out details of the program, the cost for the option of hiring a private company and the referendum wording.
When the program went dormant, cut from the 2009 budget, the city implemented a series of self-supporting programs to help residents dispose of large, bulky and environmentally unsafe items. Citizens pay a per-item fee to have city crews pickup and haul away. The city also offers free or low-cost drop-off options throughout the year, for such items as tires and brush.
Alderman Koch pointed out that most everything picked up during Spring Cleanup Days can already be picked up by the city.
"We really don't need this program if people would follow those procedures," he said.
But returning the service has never been far from the hearts of the city's citizens, who have asked about it ever since, Ross said.
He told the council in April that a referendum would give citizens the choice to bring back the popular program and the added cost, and will "put the issue to bed."