PINE BUSH – In 2008, the Town of Crawford Bulk Clean Up was a great success, collecting 75 tons of waste materials. The program, which has been running for at least 15 years, uses the town's sewer treatment plant as the collection point.

Last year's clean up cost about $19,000, although only around 200 permits were sold at $12 apiece. That worked out to $253 a ton of white metal, branches and brush, magazines and newspapers, and all the rest.

This year, however, with money tight, the town board is looking for ways to cut the cost of the clean up. At the town board meeting on June 18, Supervisor Charles Carnes explained that the town had received a quote from Winum Landscaping of Walden for $16,620 covering two days of the clean up. The days would probably be a Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Carnes emphasized that this wasn't a bid, just a quote.

However, that sum only covered the first 60 tons of stuff removed. Above that limit, there would be an overage charge of $115 a ton. If the total collected reached 75 tons again, that would add another $1,725, bringing the total to $18,345 and possibly not providing any savings at all.

Carnes pointed out another factor. "Steve Russell and Venus Bruyn of the Highway Department are already compensated for the clean up." So, if the clean up was bid out to a private company, Steven and Venus would have to supervise the job.

Jim Licardi raised the point that Winum's quote covered two days of operations, but "ours ran for two and a half days." The extra half day was important for people.

Larry Marshall said, "Why not put it out to bid, but bid it with tonnage equal to 2008?"

That point received broad agreement on the board. However, the board decided to put off a decision and to wait until the fall to organize a clean up, because by that time the budgetary situation would be more clear.

In a later discussion, Supervisor Carnes added that the town has been in discussions with Orange County about starting a recycling station.

"It would just cover the basic things: cans, bottles, a limited number of items. But, we'd need one person to run it, so we have to take that into consideration in terms of the budget."

Asked where such a station might be put, and when it might open, Carnes said, "It could be either at the new Highway Department Facility, or where the clean up has been run, by the sewer plant. It's something that will be discussed for the budget next year."