With an eye on its eventual closure, Hartselle officials  are considering raising the fees commercial customers will pay to use its landfill.
Mayor Dwight Tankersley is introducing a plan to raise tipping fees at Hartselle’s landfill from $26 per ton to $52 per ton.
Half of the total revenue generated at the landfill will go into a separate fund that will be used to finance the landfill’s closure.
Tankersley said the landfill is projected to be at capacity in 28 months.
Closing the landfill will cost some $300,000-$350,000, with the increased fees generating $250,000 during the landfill’s remaining life.
Hartselle residents can still use the landfill free of charge. Customers bringing in wood debris for the chipper will actually see a reduction in cost, from $26 per ton to $10 per ton. The city is currently selling chipped wood for $8 a ton.
Also, city residents will now be required to sort items before disposal. The new ordinance requires all items brought to the landfill to be sorted based on material, such as metal going into the metal dumpster. Wood products must be unloaded next to the chipper.
Failure to sort items could result in a summons to municipal court.