Point Roberts garbage service in financial, legal jeopardy

Truck breakdown last straw; owner appeals to state

JARED PABEN

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POINT ROBERTS — The small garbage company operating here may soon die, cutting curbside garbage and recycling pickup to residents of the isolated area.

Arthur Wilkowski, owner of Point Recycling and Refuse, says he has too few customers to make a curbside pickup company economically feasible. And he partly blames Whatcom County for not enforcing a law that requires households to either pay for service or get permission to dispose of their own garbage.

“All I’ve been saying for years is give me a reasonable game plan and support me in doing my job,” he said.

County’s casual garbage collection approach draws fire

His company’s future was thrown into doubt on Jan. 24 when his 18-year-old recyclables pickup truck broke down, cutting curbside pickup to his 340 regular customers. That put him in violation of county law, which requires that he provide curbside recycling pickup. After that:

April 18: Whatcom County Public Works wrote to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission stating that Wilkowski was in violation of county law.

May 20: The County Council says it wants to retain curbside recycling there.

May 23: Wilkowski files a request with the WUTC to remove the requirement that he pick up recyclables. He filed the same request in 2001, and the WUTC rejected it. WUTC staff has recommended the commission again reject it.

June 26: The WUTC holds a hearing on the request. A decision is delayed until after a future hearing, which hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Wilkowski said he expects to lose the case and be shut down by state regulators, whom he has written to and calls “the epitome of paper-pushing indifferent dictatorial bureaucrats.”

If that happens, service would be cut, although Whatcom County would still own five acres on Johnson Road it’s using as a transfer station.

Public Works staff wrote to the County Council in May that other vendors could operate temporary service. But even if the WUTC allows one of them to replace Point Recycling and Refuse, customers would probably have to pay more, staff wrote. Fundamentally, the county wants residents there to have curbside service, said Jon Hutchings, Public Works assistant director.

“WUTC sets the rates but no provider will assume the work in the area at a financial loss,” staff wrote. “The WUTC cannot force any vendor to provide service under these circumstances.”