Beginning May 1, Ransbottom Excavating and Landfill will change its billing format - customers will be charged by weight instead of by volume. The new cost will be $35 per ton.

John J. Hartings, the new general manager of the landfill, who took over Feb. 20, said that he is now "doing business the way it should be done."

Previously, under former owner Dan Ransbottom, customers paid $6.70 per compacted square yard, a method of measurement that was, according to Hartings, not very accurate.

"As of late, it's been a kind of a guessing game as to trusting your customers telling you what their yardage is on each vehicle that comes in," said Hartings.

The new method of billing is "a surefire way" of reporting the appropriate weights and financial information, said Hartings.

He said that some of the "high volume" customers who use the landfill every day will receive a lower rate, but Hartings declined to comment on the reduced rate.

Kim Leake, Warsaw public works superintendent, said the change would probably benefit the city.

Running some figures of his own, and taking into account the reduced rate the city of Warsaw will receive, the charge will be nearly half the regular rate.

Leake said that with the reduced rate there would be "no change" in the city's bill from the previous method.

That may not be the case for the average landfill customer, however, who pays the regular $35 per ton rate. According to Leake's figures, the cost could be as much as twice the previous charge. [[In-content Ad]]