Mark Slown, manager, city of Ishpeming

ISHPEMING — City of Ishpeming residents can expect an increase in their monthly garbage rates in 2019.

Members of the Ishpeming City Council were apprised of the suggested rate increase as they hashed over aspects of the city’s 2019 budget during a special meeting on Thursday.

Ishpeming Finance Director Jim Lampman recommended that the rates increase $3.50 to $17.20 per month in 2019.

The rates for residential garbage pick-up were reduced by $5 per month in 2013 to offset an increase in water and sewer rates at that time, he told the council.

He said the city has been spending down the garbage fund balance since that time but cost fluxuations, including a 4.2 percent increase in Marquette Solid Waste Authority landfill tipping fees to $49.50 per ton effective July 1 have necessitated the change.

“The council approved a $2.50 rate increase for 2018, but we are still going to have increase the rates going forward,” Lampman said.

The tipping fees, he said, will increase by an additional 2 percent each year until cost reaches its peak of $55.86 on July 1, 2025.

Despite the increase in city garbage fees, Lampman said the city will still be dipping into the balance of the garbage fund in 2019.

“To reduce that budget gap to zero would be an additional .90 increase over the proposed $3.50.” Lampman said. “The question is how quickly do you want to raise it.”

City Manager Mark Slown said the increase in expenses leaves the city little choice when setting rates for services.

“The reality is in a lot of these funds, the costs keep going up and in order to keep up we have to raise our rates,” Slown said. “We are not trying to raise rates, we don’t have a choice. We are trying to keep the funds healthy.”

Changing the city’s special refuse collection procedures for residents might also represent a decrease in cost.

The city opened its waste and compost site located on Carson Road off of Lakeshore Drive 10 times from April through October.

The council agreed to set up a subcommittee to look into the site and come up with a more cost-effective way to continue providing the service to the residents.

“That’s one of the things I wanted to see,” Mayor Joe Juidici said. “That’s costing the city a lot of money for tipping fees plus overtime and I don’t want to do away with it, but I think we could cut it back to once in the spring and once in the fall.”

Slown said the city could save between $10,000 to $15,000 if the city decided to implement Juidici’s suggestion.

Councilman Justin Koski said he would be supportive of keeping the service and perhaps charging for it.

“I am just saying that because we are trying to clean up town and this is a big service,” Koski said. “The woods have stopped seeing (residents) dropping stuff out in the middle of nowhere, up on Cedar Beach, out on the bike trails because they can take it there for free. So I would hate to get rid of it.”

The council will continue its budget discussions during a special meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday.