During the council meeting in Hollidaysburbg on Thursday, the room was filled with residents voicing their opinions on whether or not having a single hauler for waste and recycling is a good idea for the borough.
Some residents in Hollidaysburg said a single hauler system wouldn’t be the worst thing, adding that it’s done in plenty of areas throughout the country.
Other residents begged to differ.
Some said they’ve had the same hauler for decades and feel their losing their freedom to choose.
The Intermunicipal Relations Committee (IRC) oversees the management of waste and recycling in Blair County.
By the end of next year the executive director, John Frederick, said all of the funding will be gone.
Now the four mandated areas, Tyrone, Logan Township, Altoona and Hollidaysburg must figure out how to contribute.
Jim Bongiorno, Owner of Jim’s Hauling Services, said “I’m concerned about my livelihood not only or myself but you know for other haulers.”
He said moving to a single-hauler system will wipe out local business owners and disappoint loyal customers.
“Some of us been in the business 40, 50 years and to bring this upon us right now is a little devastating,” Bongiorno said.
A single-hauler could bring a flat fee that would fund the IRC.
People in favor say it’s the affordable option.
Others say rather than giving up their go-to hauler, they’d rather pay an additional tax.
Ultimately its up to the council to decide and Bongiorno said he hopes they bring other ideas to the table.
“Bidding the hauling out to maybe four or five different haulers so we can all have a piece of the action, I don’t have a problem with that at all,” Bongiorno said.
With a vote of 4 to 2, a motion was passed for the council to window-shop prices to see just how much a single hauler would cost each resident.
The IRC relied heavily on grants and the council urged the public to reach out to their local representatives to push for more funding to help the cause.
Vice president of the council said in the mean time they will begin accepting bids.
