City trash pick-up will cost biz owners

Although Mayor Nutter declared earlier this year that trash fees were off the table, one group of Philadelphians is about to start paying for trash pick-up.

Business owners whose trash is collected by the city will be subject to a $500 annual fee starting in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson said about 15,000 businesses use city trash collection.

Other city businesses hire private haulers.

Tolson said that the fees, from which the city expects to generate about $7 million, are necessary to continue to offer the service.

"These businesses on average are putting out a heavier amount of trash than the average household," Tolson said.

Businesses have been notified that they can continue with the city and pay the fee, or move to a private collector.

Tolson said the fee would likely be charged in August after the city determines what businesses will be paying.

After public outcry, Nutter in March canned a proposal to charge a residential trash-collection fee to help ease the city's budget gap. *