Curbside recycling for single-family housing is coming to Union Township.

The Charter Township of Union Board of Trustees approved a motion to begin curbside recycling Oct. 1 at its regular meeting Wednesday.

“It’s going to be a great service for our township and I’m excited for it,” said Supervisor John Barker. “I love the idea that recycling can begin on Oct. 1.”

Trustee Phil Mikus said the township with pay for the first quarter of the program from Oct. 1 to the end of the year, and the citizens will be responsible for the remainder of the year with an annual fee of up to $25.

The curbside recycling begins the first phase of recycling options in the township.

Resource Recovery Director Amy Shindorf of Isabella County Recycling said the program is about providing Union Township with bigger options in the second phase. The program affects 2,961 households and ICR is looking to expand it to the whole township.

Other business

The Board unanimously approved a proposal to use the Center for Applied Research and Rural Studies at CMU to conduct a community survey at a cost of $8,000 “to get public opinion,” said Zoning Administrator Woody Woodruff.

The surveys will be conducted in late October and early November and the analysis should be available in February, said Dr. James Hill, former director of CARRS. “We will work with the township to develop the questions. We will use questions that the township finds most pressing.”

The results will bring in vital information for the board to use in the future.

“It’s really important to the future of our township,” Barker said.

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E-mail the author: Todd Betzold