Trustees let residents choose trash haulers

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Kirk D . Richards

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Facing numerous protesters, a Prairie Township trustee shocked audience members last night by agreeing not to have a single trash hauler for all residents.

Trustee Teresa Keller, who is up for re-election, said she had taken the pulse of the township of about 20,000 and determined that most don’t want a single hauler.

"I can see that this issue has been very divisive, and that is unfortunate," Keller said.

"Putting my personal views aside, I will vote nay." The meeting was held at the Westland High School auditorium instead of the township hall in anticipation of a large crowd. More than 200 came. Keller initially had joined Trustee Joe Wharton, who isn’t running for re-election, in supporting a single hauler. But last night, she sided with Chairman Douglas Stormont to reject all bids. Her announcement was met with joyous applause.

Resident Mary Farley took the microphone and said: "Thank you, for once, for doing what the people asked."

The result differed from what occurred in December when more than 200 residents attended a meeting to protest a property-maintenance code.

Despite protests from the majority in the crowd that night, Keller and Wharton approved the code, with Stormont dissenting.

Residents eventually circulated a petition for a referendum, allowing residents to vote Nov. 8 whether they want to keep the code.

Trustee candidate Steve Kennedy said he had a team prepared to circulate another referendum petition had the trustees approved the trash contract last night.

Kennedy said that Keller "did the right thing," but said it was because she’s running for reelection.

Keller said that’s not the case.

"I asked for public input and they were overwhelmingly against it," Keller said.

Supporters of a trash contract wanted to put an end to the practice of various trash trucks driving through the township almost every day.

They said it meant more noise and unnecessary wear and tear on the roads.

Many homeowners, however, are accustomed to hiring their own hauler and disagreed with any government effort to change that.

"What right do they have to choose for us?" resident Jerry Beach asked last night. "It’s our money."

Some also were concerned about Robert Cumberlander, the owner of a small trashhauling business that serves 1,100 homes in the township.

Prairie Township commercial and residential customers account for 70 percent of his business, he said last night. A contract — which he chose not to bid on — would have prohibited him from continuing to serve the area.

"I’d be struggling because these folks are my backbone," said Cumberlander, whose late parents started the business in 1967.

Cumberlander, who received several congratulatory handshakes from people leaving the meeting last night, said he didn’t place a contract bid with the township because so many residents were against the idea.

"The people here have been very loyal," Cumberlander said. "I’m trying to fight for them."

krichards@dispatch.com