Richmond Hill will hold a public hearing to gauge the interest of city residents in mandatory curbside recycling, City Council members decided Tuesday.
A date for the hearing hasn’t been set, but Mayor Harold Fowler said it could happen within the next few weeks.
The decision to get public input came at Tuesday night’s regular meeting after council members heard a presentation from Russ Hightower, a representative of Waste Management.
He told the council it would cost about $2.61 per household per month to implement a mandatory single stream curbside recycling program in Richmond Hill. With an estimated 4,200 households in Richmond Hill, it would cost about $116,000 annually, Hightower said.
Council members agreed on the importance of recycling but were split on whether it would work in the city and whether it should be mandatory. And they were undecided on how to pay for it if it were to happen — either by asking residents to foot the whole bill or split the cost the first year.
Councilman Van Hunter said he was hesitant to add a fee some residents might not be able to afford. Hunter peppered Hightower with questions and said he wanted more information on the company’s existing programs in Springfield and Garden City and more input from residents.
Councilman Russ Carpenter said he had issues with making it mandatory, a requirement by Waste Management.

Read more in the June 23 edition of the News.