By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Department of Public Works superintendent said he would be in favor of a tabled county plan to increase trash fees, if they were to do away with a charge for recycling.

“I am ok with a portion of the refuse fee as along as they make some adjustments to recycling,” DPW Superintendent Hassan Fayad said Friday.

At Tuesday’s St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators meeting, the board tabled a motion to set new trash and recycling fees. The schedule would cost the Village of Massena about an extra $53,000 per year. They paid $90 per ton on 3,556 tons of compacted trash, and the plan would raise that to $105 per ton.

Fayad said he believes since they compact their trash, they shouldn’t be faced with the $15 increase, since other trash haulers will pay $3 more per ton.

“What we do is we compact our trash where they can put more weight in their trailers. They’re charging us as much to process our trash as another hauler that does not compact their trash,” Fayad said. “However, the work that is used to process loose trash is a lot more than it would be for compacted. They don’t have to spend a whole lot of time on our trash, yet they want to charge us more money.”

He also wants the county to study their trash operation to see if it’s as efficient as can be.

“We want data from the county so we can make an informed decision, and historical data. How many trips are they taking to DANC, whats’ the average per load, etc.,” Fayad said. “If they’re maximizing their efficiencies, then we’ll have to make some adjustments here.

“We’re looking for efficiencies and not be singled out, not just the V of M, anybody who is going to be a hauler of compacted trash, like Casella … we all have the fee structure and I expect they’re going to be reviewed.”

Fayad also suggested the county should do away with recycling fees entirely, and perhaps raise trash fees to make up the difference. An earlier version of the motion the board tabled on Tuesday called for $0 recycling fees.

“If they want to promote recycling, get rid of the recycling (fees),” he said. “I am ok with a portion of the refuse fee as along as they make some adjustments to recycling.”