Durango City Councilor Paul Broderick was baffled by city plans to move to a single-stream plan for managing its recyclables.

If it’s supposed to be more efficient and increase recycle volume by 30 percent or more, Broderick wanted to know why the city wanted to charge residents $3.25 more per container of solid waste annually, raising the rate for 60-gallon trash receptacle to $16.25 and $22.75 for a 90-gallon bin.

During a study session Tuesday, staff cited start-up costs, such as buying a new truck and wanting to be more accurate and transparent about the costs associated with recycling and garbage removal. They noted that fees could come down in the future as the city realized savings from the single-stream plan.

Broderick was still unsatisfied.

“It didn’t answer the question to me,” Broderick said. “The costs are going down, but we’re raising rates substantially. I don’t have the information I need to raise rates.”

City Manager Ron LeBlanc pledged to better justify the fee increases when staff members come before the council for action during the 2013 budget sessions in the fall. The city would like to begin its single-stream recycling system by April of 2013 Residents would no longer have to sort out their recyclables for curb-side pickup. They could throw five more grades of plastic into the mix as well, but glass would no longer be accepted because crushed glass would contaminate the other recyclables. Glass would have to be taken to drop-off sites.

Last year, the city recycled more than 3,300 tons of material. The city anticipates being able to increase volume without having to increase staff.

But the recycle center would have to reconfigured to accommodate the new system and enhance safety because the current setup has the public, truckers and workers often congregating at the same drop-off area, creating the potential for accidents.

The transition would cost about $1.8 million. Staff anticipates revenues of $850,000, which includes grants and a lump payment of $250,000, which could come from the next contractor that would run the Solid Waste Transfer Station. The current lease expires in April.

The other revenue would come from the city’s solid waste fund.

City Councilor Sweetie Marbury said the plan was “very exciting.”

“I’m a big believer in single stream,” she said.

In other recycling news, the city is set to resume the collection of plastics at the Durango Recycling Center, 710 Tech Center Drive, on Feb. 29.

No plastics, however, will be accepted at other drop-off sites – the north City Market, behind the store in the 3100 block of East Second Avenue and behind Wagon Wheel Liquors, 30 Town Plaza.

The city stopped collecting plastics at drop-off sites in August after two workers became ill from some unknown contaminants.

jhaug@durangoherald.com