LOCKPORT — An oft-asked question about the city’s new, privately based trash pickup program — what’s it gonna cost me? — was finally answered Wednesday.

Dawn Timm, the city’s refuse and recycling adviser, disclosed final annual fees to the Common Council before its business meeting.

The rates are guaranteed for three years, per the city’s contract with hauler Modern Disposal, Timm said. They are:

• For the 35-gallon cart, $132.50 per year.

• For the 64-gallon cart, $162 per year.

• For the 96-gallon cart, $185.50 per year.

• Two 35-gallon carts, $167 per year.

• Two 64-gallon carts, $208 per year.

• Two 96-gallon carts, $245 per year.

• Three 96-gallon carts, $295 per year.

• Four 96-gallon carts, $345 per year.

The rates fall within the predicted ranges that the city published earlier this summer in lieu of hard numbers. The rates also include the so-called “mortgage charge” that the city is including in bills to recover the cost of buying 17,000 refuse and recycling carts. Basically, the city intends to borrow $820,000 to pay the cart manufacturer, then recover the money from property owners/cart users over a five-year period. The mortgage charge equals 16 percent of the annual fee, according to Common Council President Richelle Pasceri.

Modern pickup service may begin around Oct. 17, Timm said. The exact day/week of kickoff is dependent upon the cart manufacturer getting the carts delivered to every participating property and Modern having crews ready to start their Lockport routes. Cart delivery should start around Oct. 10.

Property owners will receive their first bill for Modern pickup service around mid-December, according to city Treasurer Mike White. The bills will be pro-rated to reflect 2 1/2 months of service, and owners will have at least 30 days to pay it.

By the end of this month, the treasurer’s office should be ready to send bills to all properties for nine months of public refuse service. Each property, including non-profits and other tax exempts that receive city pickup service, will get the same bill. The total cost of city pickup services this year will be divided by the number of serviced parcels. The 2011 city budget did not include lines for refuse service; these were moved to a separate, special refuse fund

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budget and now the money has to be raised to reimburse the general fund that paid the bills for city labor, equipment and fuel, tipping fees and other costs.

The city charge isn’t final yet, but it will be less than $150 per property, White said. Property owners will have 60 days to pay it without a late penalty.

Beginning next year, the city will split the annual refuse fee into two bills, possibly to be sent in May and October every year, White said.

Public comments to the Council regarding the refuse plan seemed to wane Wednesday, even after Pasceri announced the annual fees in the meeting. The topic seems to be a driving campaign issue in both the mayoral and ward representative primary contests coming up next week, however, with non-incumbent candidates leading the charge against the plan more often than not.  But at the microphone this week, for a change, the “pro” side of he refuse plan had more to say than the opposition.

Without naming names, Sheila Tracy of Grosvenor Street took on Democratic mayoral candidate Mike Pillot and others who’ve complained the Modern variable-cart program is too complicated, convoluted and/or unfair. Pillot in particular has suggested the contract between Modern and the city has the latter “working for” the former, as the city is taking on billing duties.

Tracy said she inquired in the towns of Lockport, Pendleton and Newfane, which all have private hauling and curbside recycling but no cart requirement, and learned: The towns, not the haulers, bill every property for refuse service; and none of them cuts “snowbirds” a fee break for the months they’re not here.

Her son, Jeff Tracy of Cherry Street, who chaired the resident-led recycling and refuse reform committee that sparked the new program, went after Republican mayoral candidate Phyllis Green. She claimed, a few weeks ago at the microphone, that she didn’t know “10 people” in the city who support the program or think recycling is important.

Tracy showed her 11 residents, most wearing green, who came to the Council chambers and stood up, literally, in support of the program. City Judge Bill Watson was among them.

To unnamed others who identify themselves as fiscal watchdogs and harp on “wasteful” government spending, Tracy spoke of the benefits to the city, i.e. taxpayers, from letting the private sector take over refuse collection, and the fairness of charging for service based on how much service (landfill space) people use, to encourage “recycling, reuse, repurposing.”

“People bang the drum for personal responsibility, for privatization ... they must mean for others, not themselves,” Tracy said. “(Public) garbage pickup is the biggest entitlement program in the city.”

To all candidates for city office, especially those who say the Modern plan will inspire illegal dumping, Tracy issued a challenge: If “suddenly, dumping’s an issue ... I want to see you organizing community cleanups, while wearing your campaign T-shirts. Then I’ll know you’re serious.”

Green said afterward she wasn’t impressed with Tracy’s comments.

“He should’ve shortened his speech. More people would’ve listened to it then. That’s my opinion,” she said.