Trash agency raises spending, but not tipping fees

TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. » The Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency board has adopted a $14.55 million 2018 budget that increases spending by $502,962, or 3.58 percent.

The spending plan, approved at a meeting Wednesday, comes with no increase in tipping fees to haulers or charges to municipalities for emptying containers at transfer stations.

Tipping fees will remain at $103 per ton for solid waste and construction debris. Dual stream recycling, in which recyclable material is separated by type, will be accepted at no charge, while the fee for single stream recycling, in which recyclable material is commingled, will remain unchanged at $20 per ton.

The proposed budget also leaves “pull” charges for towns unchanged at $75 each time the agency empties a container from a transfer station. Those fees last year were raised by 20.97 percent, an increase of $13.

Among significant changes in the budget is a decrease in debt service by $349,535, or 15.47 percent, to $1.91 million.

Changes in the proposed budget include:

• An increase of $134,621, or 1.05, in revenue from tipping fees, to $12.99 million,

• An increase of $109,015, or 3.6 percent, in revenue from hauling contracts, to $3.13 million.

• An increase of $82,032, or 3.08 percent, in solid waste disposal fees, to $2.75 million.

• Employee salaries at $1.64 million, up $79,241, or 5.09 percent.

• Health insurance costs at $641,891, up $63,839, or 11.04 percent.

• Revenue from fuel surcharges to municipalities at $454,753, up $133,616, or 41.61 percent.

• Revenue from the sale of recycling materials at $416,000, up $147,000, or 54.65 percent.

The board also adopted a five-year capital plan that includes $1.13 million in projects for 2018, an increase of $355,305, or 45.9 percent, over the current year’s budget. The plan includes $385,000 for transportation equipment, $349,394 for heavy equipment, $250,000 for a scale, $95,000 for the materials recovery facility, and $50,00 for buildings and grounds.

Capital spending for subsequent years is projected at $634,394 in 2019, $49,642 in 2020, $300,000 in 2021, and $250,000 in 2022.