CENTERVILLE — August or September could be the beginning of a curbside recycling program in Centerville.

Friday was the last day for residents to opt out of the program via forms the city mailed to them April 22. As of Friday afternoon, about 650 homes had returned the forms, declining to participate, said Blaine Lutz, Centerville's finance director.

Forms postmarked Friday will also be counted.

For participating homes, the curbside program would mean a charge of between $3 and $4 per household per month for a biweekly pickup of recyclable materials. That cost changes depending on the number of participating households.

More households mean a smaller cost.

City officials and the city's waste hauler, ACE Disposal, figured they would need at least 75 percent of homes to participate in the program to make it cost-effective.

The 650 number represents about 20 percent of homes, Lutz said. The number of participating homes fits within the city's parameters for approving the recycling program.

Some comments from residents have left officials scratching their heads.

Lutz said some residents have complained that the city shouldn't be forcing residents to recycle if they don't want to or can't afford the $3 to $4 monthly charge.

"We're not forcing them to do it," he said.

During a public hearing in March, the City Council heard from Centerville residents who, for the most part, agreed that recycling would be a good thing for the city, but also told the council they preferred that people could opt out of the program.

Lutz said he expects the City Council to vote on a recycling ordinance on Tuesday.

"Unless there's a significant change, I think we'll proceed," he said.

Once the council approves an ordinance, ACE can begin ordering dedicated recycling cans, which take about a month to distribute.

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