State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, a close ally to Mayor Eddie Melton, is the new executive director of the Gary Sanitary District.
The GSD board of directors appointed her at its Jan. 10 meeting.
Hatcher had served in the Melton administration as director of community development. Hatcher left that post at the beginning of the year to shift to the sanitary district.
Hatcher, an attorney and former Gary city council member, will be busy in the coming months.
The General Assembly in Indianapolis, where Hatcher is a Democratic House member representing Gary, Hobart, Lake Station, and New Chicago, doesn’t adjourn until April 29.
Hatcher’s salary as GSD director wasn’t immediately available. She replaces Rhonda Anderson who retired last year.
Hatcher also holds a master’s in business administration and is expected to oversee the overall management of the sanitary district. The GSD board will likely hire a superintendent to run the more technical wastewater operations, according to GSD attorney Jewell Harris Jr.
Also at its Jan. 10 meeting, the GSD board dumped its curbside recycling program because of its cost.
Republic Services will continue to provide trash pickup.
Beginning Feb. 1, the city is providing designated drop-off locations throughout the city for recyclables.
“The City of Gary remains committed to sustainability and providing an effective recycling program for our community,” said Hatcher.
“However, the rising costs of home recycling pick-up have made it increasingly difficult to maintain this service as it currently stands,” she said in a release.
Hatcher said the GSD subsidized garbage and recycling services for more than a decade for about 22,000 households. She said just 2,400 households actively participated in the recycling program.
“After careful evaluation, we have decided to transition to a drop-off recycling model, which has already proven successful in many neighboring communities.”
Neighboring cities Hobart and Portage halted curbside recycling last year, too.
Gary consulted with officials in multiple neighboring municipalities before making the decision to transition to a drop-off recycling model.
Gary chief operating officer Michael Suggs thanked Portage Mayor Austin Bonta and members of his recycling team for assisting Gary on the benefits of the change.
“The drop-off process will allow for better quality control of recycled materials. By reducing contamination, we can increase the success rate of recycling, minimize spoiled loads, and improve overall efficiency in our operations,” said Suggs.
The drop off program and recycling containers will be managed by Gary’s Public Works Department.
Residents will have access to four recycling drop-off sites across the city. The sites will accept clean, recyclable materials, limited to paper, cardboard, and clean, plastic water bottles.
Hatcher said the city is taking steps to ensure the new drop-off recycling sites are clean, secure, and safe places for recycling.
The following drop-off sites in Gary will have receptacles for recycling starting Feb. 1: Grand Boulevard and Miller Avenue; 900 Madison St. (Gary General Services site) 3600 West 3rd Ave. (Gary Sanitary District site) 3506 Village Court (Northwest Parking Lot, Gary Public Transit Corp. site).
Residents can recycle folded cardboard boxes, paper board such as cereal boxes, paper including newspapers, magazines, junk mail, and clean plastic.
“We understand that change can be challenging, but this decision ensures that our recycling efforts remain both environmentally and financially sustainable,” said Hatcher.
For questions or additional information, residents may visit the City of Gary Public Works Department website at https://www.gary.gov/recycling, email at cogrecycling@gary.gov or call (219) 882-8445.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
