Today’s sponsor:
Nonprofit Spotlight: Cat Nap Lodge
Cat Nap Lodge Community Center provides shelter and medical care for stray cats and kittens.
Portage residents: here’s your trash bill for the next five years
The Portage City Council is still taking complaints about its new garbage and yard waste services. After complaints about the pricing amount and inconsistencies, the city held a bidding process for a single contractor. In July, the contract was awarded to Waste Management but spurred protests from Best Way, which bid a higher price.
Portage resident Leah Owens told the council at a meeting this week that she was angry that her rates would go up $300 a year. Mayor Patricia Randall asked the city administration to vet the concerns. An Aug. 27 letter from City Manager Pat McGinnis to Owens, which was provided to NowKalamazoo, claims the new contract would save Owens $273 a year next year when the service begins.
Owens also said the contract for garbage and yard waste would mean loss of the recycling program. The city said in a response to questions from NowKalamazoo that the recycling program is separate, funded by a voter-approved millage…