Author: Village Administrator

Please see the chart below for an explanation of your current trash cost on your utility bills.

The exchange of 64-gallon trash containers will begin in October! Bins will be exchanged during your regular trash service day. Please leave your current bin at the curb as usual so it can be exchanged.

The exchange will take place over several service days, so don’t worry if you don’t have a new bin right away.

If you selected a 96-gallon container, you will keep your existing one and continue to place your garbage out on your regular trash service day.

As a reminder, the new rates based on bin size took effect on September 1st.

Thank you for your patience as we work through the transition!

The Village of Potsdam, in partnership with the Town, is beginning work on a Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Comprehensive Safety Action Plan to identify opportunities to improve safety and accessibility to destinations within, to, and from Potsdam.

The Safety Action Plan is being developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program. The plan will examine crash data, traffic patterns, and other information to identify safety concerns, understand contributing factors, and develop practical strategies and projects to address them.

Data can only tell part of the story. Everyday users of the community’s streets, sidewalks and roadways know where problem areas are. As part of the community engagement process, Potsdam residents and visitors are invited to identify locations in the Town and Village where they feel unsafe getting around, or where improvements may be needed. An interactive online map allows community members to mark locations and share information about their experiences.

Residents can use the map to identify concerns such as:

• Dangerous intersections or crossings
• Locations where drivers frequently speed
• Difficult or uncomfortable places to walk, bicycle or get around with a wheelchair/stroller, etc.
• Missing, damaged, or difficult-to-use sidewalks
• Crosswalks or pedestrian crossings that feel unsafe or are inaccessible for some users
• Poor visibility or confusing traffic patterns
• Locations with inadequate lighting
• Places where vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists frequently conflict
• Considerations for horse-drawn carriages for local Amish residents
• Other transportation safety concerns

Visit the online map and tell us where you see safety problems at https://engagestantec.com/potsdam-sap.

“Some of the most valuable information we can get will come from people who use these streets and sidewalks every day,” said Mayor Alexandra Jacobs Wilke. “We want to know where people feel comfortable, where they don’t, and how they think we can make getting around our community safer and more accessible for everyone.”

The online map is one component of a broader public engagement process that will help shape the Safety Action Plan. Additional engagement will include a community fair, a pop-up traffic garden, and personal interviews.

The completed plan will provide the Village and Town with a framework for improving transportation safety, and position both municipalities to pursue future funding for projects identified through the planning process.

Everyone who lives, works, studies, visits or travels through Potsdam is encouraged to participate.

To learn more about the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan or contribute to the community safety map, visit the Village’s SS4A webpage at https://villageofpotsdamny.gov/ss4a/.

Contact: Aviva Gold

Project Manager, Village of Potsdam

agold@villageofpotsdamny.gov

315-265-1670

If you have received the new utility billing, you are able to sign up for your online account at municipalonlinepayments.com/potsdamny. You will only be able to sign up once you have your new account number!

District Two bills have gone out (account numbers that begin with a 2)! As soon as you receive your new bills, you are able to sign up for an online account with your slightly new account number. You will have to wait until your billing cycle in order to sign up! District 3 (current accounts that begin with 3) will have the new billing in August, and District 1 will follow in September.

Please click HERE for full RFQ details.

The Village of Potsdam would like to announce that we have entered into a new five-year
agreement with Casella for residential trash and recycling services. Over the past several
months, the Village has worked to negotiate a long-term contract that continues to provide
reliable service while offering residents greater flexibility and convenience.

Beginning July 1, 2026, residential trash rates will temporarily adjust to a flat rate of $33.95
per household, per month. This rate is based on updated contractual costs provided by
Casella under the new agreement and is intended to support the Village’s contractual
obligations during the transition to the updated system with multiple bin size options,
described below. The temporary $33.95 monthly flat rate will remain in effect through the
end of August, with the new containers expected to be delivered and the updated system
implemented effective September 1, 2026.

As a Climate Smart Community, the Village wishes to encourage residents to reduce their
environmental impact by reducing their solid waste production, recycling all appropriate
recyclable materials, and composting organic material whenever possible. Moving ahead,
the Village will transition to a residential trash service that allows households to request a
trash container and/or extra recycling cart based on their needs.

During this transition period, residents will be asked to select their preferred trash
container size. Once the new containers are distributed and the program is fully
implemented, households will be billed according to the container size selected, as
outlined below.

The Village may establish reasonable limits on container availability based on contractual
obligations, operational considerations, program participation and budgetary
requirements.

As part of this new agreement, several changes will take effect on residential trash
collection:

VILLAGE OF POTSDAM
Civic Center – Park Street – P.O. 5168 – Potsdam, NY 13676
Phone (315) 265-7480 Fax (315) 265-3149
Web address VI.POTSDAM.NY.US

_____________________________________

Orange bag requirements will be eliminated. Residents may use any garbage bags of their choice and may continue using existing orange bags until their supply is depleted.

Residents will have the option to select either a 64-gallon or 96-gallon trash container.

Residents will continue to receive recycling services at no additional charge.

Households with standard accounts may request an additional recycling container at no cost, subject to availability and program guidelines.

NEW MONTHLY TRASH RATES
(Effective Upon Implementation of the New Container System on September 1, 2026)

64-Gallon Trash Container $25.00 per month
96-Gallon Trash Container $40.00 per month
Recycling Service No Charge

To ensure that the Village can accurately order and distribute containers, all residents must complete the enclosed Container Selection Form and return it to the Village no later than July 31, 2026.

Completed forms may be:

Mailed to the Village Office

Dropped off in person during regular business hours

Placed in the Village drop box

If a completed form is not received by July 31, 2026, the household will default to a 96-gallon container. For households with changing waste needs, another opportunity to switch account types will be made available in April 2027.

Click here if you need a blank selection form.

We recognize that any change to municipal services can raise questions. Our goal is to provide a system that is fair, efficient, environmentally responsible, and responsive to the needs of our residents. We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we implement these improvements.
Additional information regarding cart delivery schedules, implementation timelines, and program details will be provided as it becomes available.

Thank you for your continued partnership in helping us maintain a clean, safe and vibrant community.