Garbage fee hike looms in Geneva
Taking out the trash will probably cost more come July 1 in Geneva.
And beginning in April, you may be able to get rid of larger pieces of brush, and maybe even get to do it twice a month rather than once.
And, if the leaves fall late again this year, you may have the ability to get rid of them in December -- after the regular leaf vacuum pickup of October and November.
Such are the changes being proposed as the city prepares to solicit bids for a brush removal contract and garbage pact. They were presented to the city council at its committee of the whole Monday night.
The city's present five-year garbage contract expires June 30. In drafting the proposed changes, the city reviewed how towns up and down the Fox Valley handle garbage, brush and leaves, including practices in Elgin and South Elgin.
Dan Dinges, Geneva public works director, said he expects the cost of a garbage sticker to rise by as much as 25 percent from its current cost of $2.14.
Besides once-weekly pickup, and the option of renting a large cart by the month if you have a lot of garbage, the city will also price offering optional large carts for collecting recyclables. Presently, residents buy 18-gallon bins from the public works department.
The public works staff also suggested hiring a contractor to remove brush, rather than having city workers out picking up sticks. Batavia and West Chicago hire Kramer Tree Service to do this. The company comes around with a machine that picks up the brush and puts it in a truck for chipping off-site, not curbside as the city does. This means longer, thicker pieces, up to 12 inches in diameter, can be disposed of. The city's current system limits brush to 4 to 6 inches in diameter, a rule people aren't obeying anyway, Dinges said.
"The residents don't put it out the way they should," he said.
Contracting out for brush collection would also help public works crews concentrate on the work of cutting down trees with emerald ash borer infestation. An infestation was recently discovered in Geneva. It would be cheaper for city crews to cut down trees rather than hire a service, officials said.
Hiring out for brush collection would cost residents about $1.20 for once-a-month pickup and $1.64 for twice-a-month pickup, Dinges estimates. Households would be charged on their water and sewer bills. People living in multifamily units that don't have city garbage or brush service would not be billed. Presently, brush pickup is paid for by property taxes.
Staff is also recommending that the trash hauler be asked to pick up discarded Christmas trees, rather than have city staff do it.
For leaves, officials recommend continuing to have the city do the curbside leaf vacuuming in two sweeps over three zones in October and November, and having residents put out brown bags of remaining leaves in December for the garbage collector to haul away. Residents presently pay $1.60 per month for the leaf service.