The Wrangell Borough Assembly Tuesday approved a recycling plan for the community and allocated $50,000 to get it started.
Project Manager Richard Hertzberg presented a plan last year for commingled, curbside recycling. Wrangell households would receive a recycling cart, and all recyclables could be mixed in the cart.
But Assembly Member Daniel Blake said Wrangell’s recycling program will not start with curbside pickup.
“Their initial assessment to start this off is not to do curbside pickup like we discussed, because of the cost of doing so. It would actually set up a couple of collection points throughout the community and let people bring their recyclables to that point,” Blake said.
The goal is to eventually implement curbside recycling if it is financially feasible.
Outgoing Public Works Director Carl Johnson said to get any recycling program started, Wrangell needs a baler to compress recyclables.
“We can’t really do anything without a baler. Can’t get stuff out of here. So at least this gets the baler in place, gets us working it a little bit,” Johnson said. “We’ll be getting a better idea of how staffing’s going to be, too.”
The $50,000 allocated by the assembly, plus $50,000 of leftover grant money, will pay for a baler, large containers to collect recyclables, electricity for the landfill building, and installation of the baler.
The dropoff locations for recyclables have not been determined.
The assembly also approved a new system for choosing local contractors to work on borough projects.
In an effort to give Wrangell contractors equal opportunities to participate in city work, the policy will create a pool of qualified, licensed contractors to be hired for projects that cost less than $25,000.
The Borough Assembly also accepted Pam McCloskey’s resignation from the assembly.
Mayor David Jack appointed Chris Hatton to the Southeast Alaska Solid Waste Authority Board of Directors.
