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Village manager Bob Peterson said during the Jan. 2 regular Elk Rapids Village Council meeting that the questionnaire relates to the possibility of a countywide recycling program.

In a cover letter to the questionnaire, county associate planner Joe Meyers writes that the Antrim County Solid Waste and Recycling Council will seek input on the potential and feasibility of a county recycling program over the next three months. Funding for the program would be through Michigan Public Act 138 of 1989, which allows the county to place a fee of up to $25 with each township's approval, according to Meyers' letter.

An effort in the past was made to pass a fee-funded program, but when a few townships didn't want it, the effort failed, Peterson said. A new committee is gaining momentum in an effort that could benefit citizens of Elk Rapids, he added.

Village President Dan Reszka said if the program goes through, it "would impact how we fund our recycling center" and that completing the questionnaire doesn't bind the village to its answers.

Village Trustee Chuck Schuler asked if each member of the council would fill out the questionnaire, and Peterson said a response would contain the feeling of the entire governing body.

Schuler said the residents of the village and township should have some say in the process. The opinion of one or two people could affect all residents, he added.

Reszka said that as elected representatives, the village council should find out what is wanted by the people.

Village Trustee Bob Orschel said that the last time a recycling initiative was mounted, the county's west side supported it whereas the east side didn't.

"Any way we can get county support for recycling, we need to go for it," he added.

Reszka asked whether in this new incarnation, some townships could choose not to participate in the program. In his cover letter, Meyers indicates that township can opt out.

Some Antrim County Commissioners expressed skepticism about the idea during a Dec. 14 meeting.

"I am all for recycling, but we went through this same process one or two years ago," said Laura Stanek, District No. 7 Commissioner and vice chairman. "I just wondered what has changed to convince these townships that it would be a good thing to do."