FACT SHEET ON THE PROPOSED TOW N OF HAMBURG

							                                        FACT SHEET ON THE
                                   PROPOSED TOW N OF HAMBURG
                                   REFUSE AND GARBAGE DISTRICT
                         FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION & DISPOSAL SERVICES

•   The collection, hauling, and disposal of municipal solid waste and recyclable materials in the Town of Hamburg
    is presently provided on a subscription basis, under which residential property owners individually arrange for
    service from one of three private companies operating within the Town. Hamburg is one of only three
    communities in Erie County that do not currently have a municipally provided service.

•   A study of refuse costs was conducted in 2003 by the “Who Does What in Hamburg” committee, which was
    formed by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. The study found that most Town of Hamburg residents are
    currently paying between $208 and $272 per year for refuse services. However, residents of other nearby towns
    and villages with municipal contracted services are paying substantially less, as reflected by the following:

               - Village of Blasdell = $126           - Town of Orchard Park = $120
               - Town of Eden = $125                  - Town of Boston = $120

    Based on the study results and in response to public concerns, the Town Board agreed to explore this matter
    further, as a way to provide savings for Town of Hamburg property owners through a public bidding process.
    However, this was with the understanding that the Town would not be getting into the garbage business, creating
    a new department, hiring additional employees, or purchasing equipment for this purpose. A private contractor
    retained by the Town would be responsible for providing service and responding to any resident complaints,
    under the limited general oversight of the Town Highway Department.

•   In addition to the cost savings, other benefits and advantages of providing refuse services on a townwide basis
    include the following:

          - Reduction in refuse collection truck traffic in residential areas, due to only one contractor providing all
            service. This decreases energy consumption, air pollution, interference with other traffic, and wear and
            tear on roads.
          - Weekly rubbish collection (bulky items and white goods) throughout the entire year (52 weeks), instead
            of the current monthly pick-up over a 9 month period. This will also save $160,000 per year which the
            Town presently spends for this purpose.
          - Improvements to the environment and aesthetic appearance of the Town, through reducing illegal
            dumping, debris, and rodent problems.
          - Townwide clean-up, special waste collection, and tire drop-off days will be held.

•   Contract documents were prepared and advertised for bids from refuse contractors. Four bids were received and
    opened on April 18, 2005. The low bidder was Natural Environmental, Inc. (NEI Waste Services), which is
    located in the Village of Blasdell. Their total bid amount for the first year of service is $1,576,503. This is at
    least $1.5 million less than the overall total that Town residents are currently paying. NEI presently provides
    subscription service to approximately 2,000 households in the Town of Hamburg. They also provide municipal
    contracted services for the City of Lackawanna, Town and Village of Orchard Park, Town of North Collins, Town
    of Holland, and Village of Depew.

•   Each residential property will be offered the choice of either a 65 gallon or 95 gallon roll-out cart, together with
    two recycling bins. Based on the bid amount, the projected first year cost will be $107 per household with a 65
    gallon cart, and $119 for a 95 gallon cart. All household refuse and garbage is required to be completely
    contained within the roll-out cart. In addition, one bulky item (such as furniture) or white good (large appliance)
    will be allowed to be disposed of each week. Brush collection will continue to be performed by the Town in
    accordance with the present schedule.
Page 2


 •   Service is proposed to be provided starting in January 2006 to all one, two, and three family residential
     properties within the Town of Hamburg (14,100 total dwelling units), not including the Village of Hamburg or
     Village of Blasdell. The Villages are being offered the opportunity to also receive service, if they desire. The
     contract is not intended to service apartment buildings, condominiums and townhouses serviced through
     homeowner associations, mobile home parks, commercial businesses, industrial facilities, or educational
     institutions. However, such properties that desire to be serviced may be included if they are small, non-
     hazardous garbage generators that do not require a dumpster. The contract term is to be for a five year period,
     with the option for renewal for an additional five years by mutual agreement between the T own and contractor.

 •   Costs associated with the refuse services are to be recovered from all property owners within the proposed
     Hamburg Refuse and Garbage District. The district includes all properties within the Town of Hamburg,
     outside of the two Villages. This charge is to be included as a special district item on the annual Town tax bills,
     starting in 2006. Single family homes will be assessed a unit charge based on the cart size selected. The unit
     charge will be double for two family homes and triple for three family homes. Costs will be subject to
     adjustment each year based only on the annual change in the Consumer Price Index as established by the U.S.
     Dept. of Labor, with a cap limiting the maximum increase allowed in any one year. Other types of properties
     within the district which are not receiving service will be assessed a charge of $5 per year, which will be used
     toward funding various townwide clean-up activities. All moneys collected are required by law to remain in the
     district and be used for refuse and garbage purposes only.

 •   In response to petitions submitted to the Town requesting that this matter be voted on by the property owners
     within the proposed district, a public referendum has been scheduled to be held on Tuesday, July 19, 2005.
     Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Voting locations will be at the Hamburg Town Hall (6100
     South Park Avenue) and the Lakeview Fire Hall (2011 Lakeview Road). If the district is approved by the
     voters, the Town Board will then act on the Final Order Establishing the District, followed by award of the
     contract to Natural Environmental, Inc.

 •   Prior to the January 2006 initiation of service, information pertaining to the program will be distributed to all
     property owners and published in the local newspapers. This will include the refuse contractor’s name and
     phone number, collection day in each neighborhood, recycling information, and items that are acceptable and
     unacceptable to be disposed of. Residents will be encouraged to recycle as much as possible, as a means of
     reducing the tonnage of solid waste to be disposed of and the costs associated with such.

 •   In regard to residents who have signed long-term agreements with Waste Management, Inc., it is the Town’s
     legal opinion and intention to notify Waste Management that all such agreements will no longer be effective
     as of January 1, 2006. However, this notification is not able to be made until after the referendum is held,
     final establishment of the district occurs, and the contract is awarded to NEI. The Town will not allow
     residents to be double charged or penalized by Waste Management for the early termination of these
     agreements.

 •   A Public Information Meeting for further discussion of this matter has been scheduled for Tuesday,
     July 12, 2005, from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., in the auditorium of the Big Tree Elementary School at 4460
     Bayview Road. All interested persons are invited to attend this meeting.


 Issued by: Town of Hamburg Town Board
 Date: June 21, 2005
                         ATTENTION ALL TOWN OF HAMBU RG PROPERTY OW NERS
                                      (not including within the Villages of Hamburg and Blasdell)
Please vote in a Public Referendum on the establishment of the Hamburg Refuse and Garbage District, to be held as follows:
                             Date and Time:        Tuesday, July 19, 2005, between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm
                             Locations:       Hamburg Town Hall                  or        Lakeview Fire Hall
                                              6100 South Park Avenue                       2011 Lakeview Road
!   A municipally contracted refuse and garbage service has been proposed by the Town of Hamburg. This was in response to the findings and
    recommendations of an independent study conducted by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, in order to reduce costs presently paid by Town
    of Hamburg residential property owners for garbage collection and disposal services.

!   Most Town residents currently pay between $208 and $272 per year for refuse services through an individual private subscription arrangement.
    Based on public bids recently received by the Town of Hamburg for townwide service, this cost would be reduced to either $107 or $119 per
    year (depending on cart size), starting in January 2006. This will result in an overall savings to Town homeowners of at least $1,500,000 per
    year. The cost is to be charged to property owners as part of the annual Town tax bill. All moneys collected are required by law to be used
    for refuse and garbage purposes only. Each residential property owner will be provided with their choice of either a 65 gallon or 95 gallon
    roll-out cart, together with two recycling bins. In addition, one bulky item (such as furniture or carpeting) or white good (large appliances) will
    be allowed to be disposed of each week.

!   The private contractor to be retained by the Town (NEI Waste Services) will be responsible for providing all service and responding to any
    resident problems, under the limited general oversight of the Town Highway Department. The Town will NOT be creating any new
    departments, hiring additional employees, or purchasing equipment for this purpose. The contract with NEI is to be for a five year period,
    with the only annual adjustments based on the change in the local Consumer Price Index (recently in the range of 2-3% per year). There will
    not be any other types of allowable cost increases to the contract.

!   In addition to the cost savings, other benefits of providing contracted service on a townwide basis include the following:

      •   Weekly rubbish collection (bulky items and white goods) throughout the entire year, instead of the present monthly pick-up (for 9 months)
          which is separately contracted by the Town. This will also save $160,000 per year which the Town currently spends for this purpose.
      •   Townwide clean-up, special waste collection, and tire drop-off days will be held each year.
      •   Reduction in illegal dumping, litter, debris, and rodent problems.
      •   Decreased refuse collection truck traffic in residential areas, due to only one company providing all service.

!   Eligibility to vote is limited to all property owners within the Town of Hamburg (not including the Villages of Hamburg and Blasdell), as shown
    in the Town’s assessment rolls. If a property is in two or more names, each person listed as an owner is allowed to vote. Absentee ballots
    are available from the Town Clerk’s office in the Town Hall (phone 649-6111, ext. 2361).

!   A Public Information Meeting on this matter is to be held on Tuesday, July 12, 2005, from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm, in the auditorium of the
    Big Tree Elementary School, 4460 Bayview Road. All interested persons are welcome to attend this meeting. A Fact Sheet containing additional
    information in this regard is available from the Town Clerk’s office, or on the internet at www.TownofHamburgNY.com (click on the Home Page
    under “Latest News”).

          YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!                                 PLEASE VOTE ON TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2005