The town of Van Buren has renewed its solid waste management agreement with the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA). The previous 25-year agreement, which OCRRA held with Van Buren and 32 other municipalities, expires this year.
The agreement ensures that all of Van Buren’s solid waste will be sent to and processed at OCRRA’s waste-to-treatment plant in Jamesville. It also ensures the continuation of OCRRA’s recycling programs. The new contract takes effect May 10, 2015, and is good for 20 years.
Since Van Buren renewed its agreement before Jan. 9, 2015, the town will receive a $5 per ton tipping fee discount.
The town also renewed its hauler agreement with OCRRA. This one-year agreement provides for the hauling and disposal of household hazardous waste, as well as yard, garden and food waste from the highway department’s Earth Day activities.
Winter safety
Highway Superintendent Doug Foster reminded residents that the winter “no parking” rule is in effect until springtime. From Nov. 15 until April 15, there is no on-street parking on town roads from 2 to 6 a.m.
Foster said first-time offenders violating the rule will receive a notice from the sheriff, and more action will be taken if people continue to park on town roads during the designated no parking hours.
“Next time, we will be towing them and they will have to pay the towing fee before they get their vehicle back,” Foster said.
Some town roads have restricted parking year-round. For more information, call the town clerk’s office at 635-3010.
Foster also cautioned residents to be mindful when removing snow from their driveways. It is illegal to leave snow in the road or in another property owner’s driveway. Foster said residents should get permission from their neighbors before moving any snow to other residents’ property.
Also, Councilor Ron Dudzinski reminded residents that snowmobiles and four-wheelers are not allowed on the sledding hills in Van Buren Park for the safety of all parkgoers.
‘Ash for Trash’
Dudzinski encouraged residents to attend the public hearing regarding the proposed Cortland-Onondaga Regional Solid Waste Partnership, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at Van Buren Town Hall.
The partnership, colloquially called “Ash for Trash,” would allow Cortland County to dispose of 25,000 to 30,000 tons of solid waste at the OCRRA waste-to-energy facility in Jamesville. Onondaga County would then be allowed to truck 90,000 of ash from the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant to Cortland’s landfill.
Councilor Darcie Lesniak said she attended part of the Onondaga County Legislature’s Dec. 16 meeting, where several people spoke in favor of the Ash for Trash deal. Lesniak said this partnership would be more efficient than trucking ash to Waterloo or Rochester.
Dudzinski said he was opposed to turning Van Buren’s Site 31 into a landfill for raw garbage, which former county legislator Vicki Baker suggested.
“We really want to keep control of that,” Dudzinski said.
