For the time being, Potsdam Village looks poised to extend the existing trash contract with Casella Waste Systems Inc. when it comes due this spring, and continue its current trash bag policy. “The old saying, ‘If it’s not broken don’t fix it’ seemed to apply here,” said Village Administrator Greg Thompson at the village board meeting Monday, Dec. 19.
During the village’s meeting Dec. 5, several village residents voiced opposition to a proposal by Casella to switch from the current system which requires village residents to purchase Casella branded trash bags for their trash, to a flat fee system instead. The residents who attended that meeting said a flat fee system would not encourage recycling and some claimed that those with little weekly trash would end up underwriting the trash disposal fees for those who had a great deal.
However, criticism of the bag system, including some from village officials, pointed to the lack of availability of the specific bags and their expense, as well as a tendency among some village residents to try to game the system with counterfeit bags or other tactics. Casella itself voiced a desire to switch to a flat fee like they offer in other areas of the North Country and claimed the fee would end up being cheaper for village residents on the whole.