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At their Feb. 11 meeting, the board decided to look into budgeting for a program and discuss more about it at future meetings.

The township is currently set to pay approximately $19,000 to participate in the Elk Rapids recycling program, which is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Although the cost to start the program would exceed what the township owes to the Elk Rapids program, Township Supervisor Lon Bargy said he expects the township to recoup the cost in two years and save money after that.

Initially, the township would need to purchase four containers for recyclable materials from American Waste priced at $6,000 each. Lights for the parking lot where the program would be based are estimated to cost $4,000 and emptying the containers will cost $500. Approximately two empties a month brings the total for the year to $12,000 and the initial start up cost to $40,000.

But, after the first year the township would only have to pay for the containers to be emptied and Bargy didn't expect them to be emptied twice a month during the slow winter months. That puts the cost at around $12,000 a year, $7,000 less than the Elk Rapids program's $19,000, a figure that is expect to continue to rise.

"I think people in the township would be more prone to use this than Wednesday and Saturday," Bargy said.

Other members of the board showed interest in the idea, as well. "It really sounds encouraging," Trustee Tom Cole said. "I'd like to do it." Cole suggested the board look into budgeting for it and schedule a time to discuss it further.

The board also voted at the meeting to pledge up to $5,000 toward a study that would determine the original source of E. coli in two township creeks. The study would also be funded by a Department of Environmental Quality grant and would test water in both Mitchell and McGuire creeks in Milton Township. The township money would match whatever funds came from the DEQ grant.

Brian Keilen can be reached at bkeilen@ michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-264-9711.