LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County refuse disposal fees may be going up for the first time in several years.

A subcommittee of the Cattaraugus County Legislature’s Public Works Committee presented proposed changes in fees and some operations at Wednesday’s committee meeting.

One of the biggest changes proposed was the closing of the yard waste areas at both the Farwell Landfill in Ischua and Five Points Landfill in Mansfield.

Last year the yard waste that included stumps and trees from commercial services cost the county more than $100,000 to grind up and remove.

County waste management coordinator Mark Shaw said an area for residential yard waste would be provided at each of the refuse transfer stations.

After new rules limiting yard waste at both landfills, Public Works officials placed video surveillance cameras that photograph license plates of vehicles. Shaw said photos had been provided to the Sheriff’s Office, but only a few citations for illegal dumping had been made, Shaw said.

There is also a proposal to allow disposal of garbage and other items by out-of-county residents as an additional source of revenue. The 1990 local waste disposal law prohibits dumping by non-county residents. They would pay the same fees as residents.

Salamanca Legislator David Koch, the minority leader and only Democrat on the 17-member County Legislature, expressed concern that raising rates for solid waste and tire disposal and other services would result in people finding other ways to get rid of it. Trash, he said, would end up on the roadsides.

Shaw said the prices for 15- and 30-pound garbage bags would remain the same — $1.50 and $3. A new category, bags 33-48 gallons would cost $4.50 and contractor bags of 60 gallons would be $6.

A cubic yard of non-compacted waste would continue to cost $20, while a cubic yard of compacted waste that used to cost $25, was eliminated.

Compacted waste will cost $70 a ton, including construction and demolition debris. The county would eliminate a charge $15 a ton for recyclable materials.

Miscellaneous bulky items like a chair, propane tank, toilet, doors and windows would cost $5. There would be a $10 charge for a couch, box springs and mattress or three-foot carpet roll. A sleeper-sofa would cost $20 and refrigeration items $15.

Tire disposal would cost $2 for car tires, $4 for agricultural and industrial tires, $6 for a large truck tire and oversize tires would cost $2 per ply. A ton of tires could be disposed of for $150.

Public Works Commissioner Kathleen Ellis asked the Public Works Committee if the subcommittee was going in the right direction with the proposals and committee members indicated that was the case.

The subcommittee is expected to meet again before submitting a new local law incorporating the proposed changes.

The Public Works Committee heard from Cathrine Slocum of Five Mile Road, Hinsdale, about the poor condition of the road.

It’s a horrible road to drive on,” said Slocum, who has back trouble that the patched potholes makes worse. “I have to drive that road every single day.” The road is covered in “patch after patch after patch,” she added.

“Don’t give me an excuse that you don’t have the money,” Slocum said. “We still pay our taxes.”

She said in the 15 years she’s lived on the Five Mile Road that stretches from Allegany through Humphrey, Ischua and Franklinville, it’s never been paved, just patched. The fire department and ambulances hate to use the road because of its condition, she said.

Ischua Highway Superintendent Richard Michael Jr. attested to the poor condition of the road which town vehicles use to get to other town roads. “Whatever you can do to give us a hand, we’d appreciate it,” he said.

Mark Burr, director of engineering, said there are 150 miles of county road in the Franklinville District. The county is paving about nine miles of roads across its 400-mile system.

“It needs investment,” Burr agreed. “It’s long overdue. It would take a year of engineering, culverts would need to be replaced and the road would have to be reconstructed. “We’ve got to find a way to pay for it. The need is there. There are 150 miles in that condition and we’re doing about 10 miles a year.”

Slocum compared the condition of the Five Mile Road in Humphrey, Ischua and Franklinville to that in the town of Allegany, which has been resurfaced twice in the past 10 years. “It’s a safety issue.”

Public Works Committee Chairman Richard Helmich, R-Delevan told Slocum, “We’re not going to forget it.”

(Contact reporter Rick Miller at rmiller@oleantimesherald.com. Follow him on Twitter, @RMillerOTH)