The Cleveland Township Board last week "opted out" of approving a program that might allow township residents to utilize Leelanau County recycling sites and services in 2008.

Under Public Act 138, the township board is empowered to add a $25 per household recycling fee to tax bills with the provision that residents may voluntarily "opt out" of the program if they fill in and submit a form to the township before tax bills are distributed.

Residents of Cleveland Township were among those of three other townships – Kasson, Solon and Bingham – to reject a $25 per household recycling fee proposal in the August 2006 Primary election. As a result of their narrow “no” vote, Cleveland residents may no longer use any of the county’s recycling sites or services unless they purchase a $30 temporary permit from the county. The temporary permit program will end in December 2007.

In the meantime, the county has informed the boards of the four townships that voted down the recycling fee that state law will allow them to impose a “voluntary” township recycling fee of their own to cover the program’s expenses for 2008 in those townships. Officials of Kasson and Solon townships have indicated they intend to do so.

At its regular monthly meeting on March 13, however, the Cleveland Township Board discussed the issue and decided by consensus to take no action.

“It would be insane for us to take any action on this,” said trustee Joe Dechow. “The people of our township have already voted ‘no’ on a recycling proposal. Personally, I am a recycler and I support recycling. But the people of this township have spoken.”

Treasurer Bess Musil agreed.

“If the people want to, they can take their recycling to the (Glen’s) landfill and pay a fee there,” Musil said. “Or they can buy one of those cards from the county. But our township voted no on the fee, and it’s a dead issue,” she said.

Trustee Cynthia Shimek said she faulted the county’s Solid Waste Council for doing a poor job and wasting taxpayers’ money.

“The people on that Solid Waste Council are way overpaid,” Shimek said. “It takes only two phone calls to run that whole department. We shouldn’t have to say ‘no’ to them again; it’s totally inappropriate. What a waste of my tax dollars,” said Shimek, who added that she too recycles her household waste on a regular basis.

Supervisor Tim Stein said he’d only promised to bring the subject up for discussion by the township board.

“So, now we’ve talked about it; and I guess we’re done.” Stein said.

Four days later, a Cleveland resident attending the township’s annual meeting asked Stein what residents might do to keep the county’s recycling services available in Cleveland Township next year.

Stein responded that citizens could petition for a referendum to put a recycling fee on another ballot in Cleveland Township; or they could petition the township board to put the fee on tax bills under Public Act 138. In the meantime, Stein said, he would ask the county about a program that might allow township residents to “opt in” to recycling programs rather than “opt out.”

However, the county has already established an “opt in” program for residents of the four townships in the form of the $30 pass program. County officials have stated that those “opting in” have not provided enough revenue to keep the program viable beyond 2007.