Waste disposal discounts for Lansing seniors are likely to stay in place after a Lansing City Council work session Thursday.
The city’s finance director, Beth Sanford, said she was asked to gather some research on the long-standing senior discount when the city approved a new solid waste disposal contract with Deffenbaugh Industries late last year.
The new contract with Deffenbaugh, which takes effect March 1, includes a number of changes to the fee structure for solid waste disposal. The standard residential solid waste disposal fee will increase from $14.20 to $16.69 per month, though the current additional monthly charge of $4.74 to opt in to recycling pickup will be eliminated and that service made available to all customers. The 401 customers now charged the senior citizen rate will see their base fee increase from $11.11 to $13.69 each month, though likewise there will not be an additional $3.74 charge to opt in to recycling pickup, with that service now offered to all customers. Because of the elimination of the additional cost for recycling, Sanford said customers who currently have both services will see their rates decrease.
But offering that $3 monthly discount to seniors means that the city is forced to eat the cost because Deffenbaugh is still charging the full rate for pickup to those properties. Based on current participation numbers, Sanford said offering the senior discount will cost the city $4,800 a year under the new contract, slightly less than under the current fee structure.
Still, Councilwoman Andi Pawlowski said from a strictly economic standpoint, she had concerns about continuing the arrangement.
“Why do we give anybody a discount on trash?” Councilwoman Andi Pawlowski asked.
At a past meeting, she said she suggested establishing an application-based discount for those who need it. When concerns arose from other council members over how to track those applications and whether anyone would apply in the first place, she said she dropped the idea.
“My new suggestion is that we just eliminate the discount altogether,” Pawlowski said.
She said that because the city cannot control the costs incurred, it would make more sense to offer a discount on sewer rates, since the city owned and operated that utility and could control costs.
However, other members of the council stepped in to defend the current senior discount for solid waste.
“I don’t consider it ridiculous and I don’t consider it a loss,” Councilman Gene Kirby said. “It’s a small thing to do for senior citizens.”
