BOWLING GREEN, OH (WTOL) - Bowling Green is set to charge residents for trash services.
The city council approved a $13 a month charge to cover both trash and recycling pickup in the city.
Supporters of the plan say the money is needed to make up for the lack of federal and state funds.
The city says the charge does not apply to apartments, only to one and two family homes. However, residents will not be allowed to opt out of the service, rather it will be added to the end of their utility bill.
"The truck is still going to be driving past your house, the fuel is still going to be consumed, the city still has to pay for the labor to do that and obviously the capital costs associated with refuse and recycling still exist," said Joe Fawcett, City of Bowling Green Public Information Officer.
This fee includes more options for large item and brush pickup for those paying for the service.
"Residents, conscientious ones aren't afraid to pay the bill," resident Richard Lee Wegman said.
The fee may not seem like a lot to some, but to some of the college students living in Bowling Green, they say the fee will make a dent in their pocket.
"Things like books and stuff, you could definitely use that money towards. So it's definitely, it's something, it's not nothing," BGSU student Zachary Yekley said.
"It's going to be coming out of all of our pockets I live with three people so just divvy that up individually," student Michael Pavone added.
Many students say they were unaware of the upcoming fee and wish they had some notice from their landlords.
"It's already a tight budget in the first place," Yekley said. "So when the city throws on these expenses at the end there, it's like we give so much to the school and tuition is so expensive, it's kind of just tough to add on another expense."
City Council is still working on finalizing the plan. The new fees start in January of 2018.
Meanwhile, the city is still in the work to allow residents to recycle glass after the city stopped accepting glass at the 24-hour recycling facility.
"The city, county, and the recycling center along with a private entity within Wood County are working very hard to get that reinstated," said city administrator Joe Fawcett. "In fact, we had numerous phone calls and meetings yesterday about this and I'm hopeful in the near future that a solution is found and we can get that up and running for residents again."
The city says the center stopped accepting glass because of the increased cost to subsidize the glass.
