Town of Saratoga to pay landfill fees

With the start of the 2020/2021 Fiscal Year, the Upper Platte River Solid Waste District (UPRSWDD) has begun to follow through with their intention of handling their own billing for the Saratoga area. At their July 1 meeting, the district board also discussed rates for the Town of Saratoga.

Town Rates

While, historically, the Town of Saratoga had served as a point of collections for the UPRSWDD, that relationship was effectively terminated prior to the 2019/2020 Fiscal Year when the district presented a one-year contract to the Saratoga Town Council. Additionally, UPRSWDD Chairman Randy Raymer informed the governing body that the district would take over their own billing effective July 1, 2020.

One of the benefits for the towns that contracted with the UPRSWDD to handle their billing has been free use of the landfill sites. Encampment and Riverside, which are still contracting with the district, retain this benefit. For the Town of Saratoga, however, the days of uncharged use are over. In fact, the Town will be looking at a monthly bill of $1,289 or just over $15,000 a year.

These monthly charges include $142 for the Saratoga Lake dumpster, $245 for the Veterans Island dumpster and $408 for the dumpster at the Hot Pool. The last two have been a point of contention between the UPRSWDD and the Town of Saratoga as Raymer had expressed frustration with prior and current council about the overfilling of the dumpsters. 

According to data from Evergreen Disposal and compiled by Raymer, the Saratoga Lake, Veterans Island and Hot Pool dumpsters are emptied up to twice a week. Additionally, the Veterans Island dumpster is noted as being emptied up to three to four times a week during the summer months.

Along with the dumpsters at those three locations, the list compiled by the UPRSWDD includes other dumpsters and barrels at Town Hall, the old Water Plant, the sewer pond, the dog park, the post office, the municipal parking lot, along the Platte River and five trash barrels along Bridge Avenue.

This $1,289 monthly fee to the Town of Saratoga for the use of the Saratoga Transfer Station was added into the line item for revenues from Saratoga in the district’s budget. While the past three fiscal years have been set at $396,000 for revenues from Saratoga, this year the projected revenue is set at $450,000.

“Last year’s contract for (the) Town of Saratoga was $396,000. That included the rural area but that actually was based on the number of bills that they had,” said Raymer. “Roughly 1,100 bills and they collect quite a lot more than that, so I put $450,000 in that column and I, again, put in $100,000 worth of gate and excess fees which, last year, was $96,000.”

When asked how the district came to that number, Raymer stated that the UPRSWDD board was giving their “best estimate to how much has been billed, how much has been collected and how much has been remitted.”

“Plus, we’re also looking at an extra $14,000 on their fees and we won’t be paying them administrative fees, either,” said UPRSWDD member Leroy Stephenson.

Billing Clerk Hired

In addition to discussing the rates that the district would charge the Town of Saratoga, the UPRSWDD hired a billing clerk who would handle the Saratoga area. Out of four potential candidates interviewed by Ellie Dana-Raymer and Stephenson, the one presented to the board was Saratoga resident Caryn Bonnell.

Dana-Raymer informed the UPRSWDD board that Bonnell had already been given the equipment needed for the job including a cell phone belonging to the district, a checkbook and mailbox key for the district’s billing service. As for an office, Bonnell will be located at the Platte Valley Community Center (PVCC). 

According to Dana-Raymer, the office that will be used for the UPRSWDD billing is behind the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce and the office of PVCC Director Joe Elder. Bonnell will be in the office a minimum of six hours a week.

The next meeting of the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District will be at 7 p.m. on August 5 at the Platte Valley Community Center in Saratoga.