March 1, 2022

Fellow-Homeowner:

Recently you received a survey from the Hunters Ridge Board of Directors seeking your views  concerning the need for a fee-based yard waste disposal service for the entire community. As you may be aware, on September 7, 2021, the Prince William County Board of Supervisors adopted a new ordinance which requires that yard waste is handled separately from regular trash and delivered to an entirely different landfill. As of today, our community does not have such a service.

Surveyresults indicate a greater number of homeowners prefer having a yard waste service even at a higher costthen those that are opposed. Clearly there are many well thought out and divergent opinions on this subject and all have been considered by the Board.  The Board has taken an objective approach with a commitment to fairness to all homeowners.The real benefit to the community is realized if the service is broadly utilized by homeowners. With this in mind and sensitive to keeping costs low, the Board has decided to enter into a pilot one-year yard waste removal contract with Disposal Services, LLC, our current trash contractor, commencing April 1, 2022. The first pick-up will be Wednesday, April 6, 2022, and every Wednesday thereafter.  During this one-year pilot there will be no additional cost to homeowners andthe Board will monitor yard waste usage. At the end of the yard waste pilot, if it is determined that very few homeowners are using the yard waste service, the contract will not be renewed.  If it is determined that a significant number of homeowners use the service, it will be renewed.

Homeowners will be solely responsible for following all Prince William County yard waste packaging requirements in preparation for pickup outlined on the attached document.  The HOA will not get involved in cases in which homeowners do not follow the County’s special packaging requirements.

There is established precedent for this approach that we are taking.  The precedent occurred in the early years after Hunters Ridge was established.  The Board had the trash contractor provide several trash dumpsters positioned at various locations  within the community to allow homeowners to neatly engage in spring cleaning of their lots and homes. The Board provided this service as long as it was used and needed by a significant number of homeowners.  When the usage and need diminished the dumpster service was discontinued.

Your Board of Directors is committed to ensuring that the community’s trash removal needs are provided to residents. We are equally committed to approaching this community’s needs objectively and in a manner that is fair to all homeowners. 

Sincerely

Delton Nichols

President

The trash and recycling services historically provided to Hunters Ridge residents through Charlie & Son have been absorbed into the operations of Disposal Services, LLC (DSLLC). All trash and recycling services remain unchanged including pickup days, fees included in the annual assessment, recycling restrictions and contact phone number (703-670-9652). Please continue to use the Charlie & Son trash toter and recycle bin.

On August 16, 2021 Prince William County announced establishment of a new Yard Waste Collection Program. The key change is the mandatory separation and collection of yard waste from routine trash and recycling pickup. Beginning October 1, 2021, residents, businesses, and landscapers in Prince William County will be required to separate yard waste from the regular trash for disposal. Yard waste must be taken by residents to the Balls Ford Road Compost Facility whereas trash and recycling will continue to be collected and taken by DSLLC to the Prince William County Landfill.

The HOA has NOT contracted for yard waste removal. DSLLC WILL NOT be collecting yard waste under this new Code. Yard waste material brought to the Balls Ford facility must be placed in yard waste paper bags, or emptied loose in a yard waste designated area. Residents must purchase their own County approved bags. Yard waste includes wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, plants, flowers, tree trimmings and Christmas trees.

What this means for you as a Hunters Ridge resident effective October 1, 2021 is:

• Yard waste must be separated from your normal trash and recycling material. Do not place yard waste at the street level for pickup. DSLLC will not pickup yard waste. Any effort to commingle yard waste with trash and recycling will result in all trash being rejected. The new Code prohibits DSLLC from allowing commingling.
• It is the resident’s responsibility to get yard waste to the County’s Balls Ford facility.
• Residents who have practiced yard waste recycling heretofore must now purchase approved bags and or containers in order to use the Balls Ford facility. For more details and a Q&A please refer to https:// www.pwcva.gov/department/solid-waste-management/yard-waste