The council could grant final approval to extending the $75 trash fee, and could revoke the special permit for Palmer Renewable Energy.
SPRINGFIELD – Two issues that have generated a lot of controversy in recent years – the trash fee and a proposed wood-burning plant in East Springfield – will surface before the City Council at separate meetings this week.
On Monday, the council will consider granting final approval for extending the annual $75 trash fee beyond June 30, when it was scheduled to expire.
The fee, originally $90 a year, was imposed by the former state-imposed Finance Control Board in 2007, to partially cover the cost of trash collection and disposal in Springfield.
Many homeowners and some councilors had objected to the fee when first implemented, some suggesting it was a burden and represented double taxation.
The council recently gave first-step approval to extending the fee, by a 9-4 vote, but will consider final approval Monday. The meeting is at 7 p.m., at City Hall.
Councilors who support the continued trash fee say it will generate more than $3 million in revenue for a city faced with severe budget constraints. Some of the opponents say the city instead should seek alternate solutions, such as a reduction in spending, rather than continuing the fee.
On Tuesday, the council has scheduled a public hearing to consider either amending or revoking a special permit granted to Palmer Renewable Energy in 2008, for a proposed $150 million wood-burning biomass energy plant at 1000 Page Boulevard.
The hearing is at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Proponents and opponents will be allowed to speak, and the council could then vote on the matter or wait until a future date, Council President Jose F. Tosado said.
The developers have warned that revoking the permit would trigger legal action, and the council plans to meet with City Solicitor Edward M. Pikula on Monday for legal advice.
Tosado and Councilor Melvin Edwards requested Tuesday’s hearing, saying that the company adjusted its plans after receiving the 2008 permit.
The developers said the change involved a switch to the use of just green wood pellets for fuel, rather than of mix of pellets and sorted construction and demolition debris, which they say is an improvement.