Burn ban likely as part of potential trash deal

Waste service contract would provide bigger recycling bins, savings for Indian Trail

by Mike Parks

INDIAN TRAIL – Town staff is starting negotiations to bring a new waste pickup provider to Indian Trail that may change how residents handle yard trash.

Part of the proposed deal with Waste Pro of North Carolina would be that the company starts collecting yard waste left by residents on the side of the road. Under North Carolina law, if leaf pickup is available, residents can’t burn leaves or yard waste on their properties. Things like campfires or bonfires would still be permitted.

Indian Trail’s public safety committee has been considering a burn ban, but signing a contract with Waste Pro with leaf pickup provided would effectively put a ban in place.

Town Manager Joe Fivas said it’s still a good idea for the town to officially add a ban to the town ordinance if that’s the direction Indian Trail leaders want to go.

While there was some discussion on imposing a burn ban on residents at the Tuesday night, June 12, town council meeting, Indian Trail staff was excited about some of the other things a new service provider would bring.

The town would request in the contract that Waste Pro provides Christmas tree pickup, school recycling and a school education program, trash removal at town events and a community clean-up day as well as providing portable toilets at events, and trash pick up at parks. The town just has the one, but another, much bigger park could be coming soon.

The biggest change would come in recycling. Waste Pro would provide new, 96-gallon recycling carts that go to the curb every other week. Currently, residents have the small bins they put out weekly. Meanwhile, Waste Pro would purchase the town’s old carts for $20 each and Indian Trail would add that money to the town’s capital reserve fund.

Fivas also said this could be an opportunity for Indian Trail to brand the new carts with a town logo.

The town’s current waste contract is $10.66 per month per household. The new contract could be around $7.93 per month per household, saving the town around $300,000 to $350,000, Fivas said, not including the money from selling the old carts.

Fivas hopes to present a contract to town council for approval at the June 26 meeting.