VIDALIA — Vidalia alderman Ricky Knapp wants more residents to sign up for a pilot curbside recycling program that is slated to begin next month.

Knapp commented on the progress of the program at Tuesday’s City Board of Aldermen meeting saying that approximately 120 residents have signed up so far.

“Our personal goal is that 300 will sign up to start the program,” Knapp said. “We know that if we get that number of bins out on the curbs, people will see them and start calling wanting to participate in the program also.”

Knapp said the 500, 35-gallon containers the city ordered are scheduled to arrive Sept. 1, and that residents who have signed up to participate in the program would be receiving their bins shortly after.

“We’re real excited about this and the more we get into it, we anticipate more and more people will be signing up,” Knapp said. “As soon as they come in, we’ll be distributing them and announcing when the first day of pick up will be.”

Knapp also asked the board for input on how the city could recuperate the costs of the bins and begin collecting enough funds to purchase even more.

“Should we assess a fee of $2 a month to those who participate, or $1 a month on every utility bill,” Knapp said.

Alderman Vernon Stevens  said he didn’t feel assessing a fee to residents not participating in the program was the best solution.

“I wouldn’t want to see people that aren’t participating be assessed,” Stevens said.

Knapp agreed to continue the original plan of assessing an additional $2 on the utility bills of residents who wish to participate.

To sign up for the program, call City Hall at 318-336-5206 or visit misslourecycles.com and click on the “When” page.

In other news from the meeting:

The board voted to file a resolution to allow the City of Vidalia to move forward with leasing Hinterland LLC 132 acres in Vidalia’s industrial park.

The company announced in July that it planned to build a biomass energy production facility in Vidalia and bring at least 50 new jobs and a $100-million capital investment to the area.

“We’ve done all the proper advertising and everything you have to do,” City Attorney Jack McLemore said. “We’re ready to start.”