Geneva trash costs may rise

Genevans will spend 25 percent more cash for their trash starting July 1 if the city council approves a plan presented earlier this week.

The cost of a refuse sticker, now $2.14, would go to $2.68 in the first year of the proposed five-year contract with Allied Waste Services.

By the fifth year, stickers would cost $3.18.

The new contract, though, includes additional service. Allied would pick up Christmas trees -- a task city workers now do. And if there are still leaves on your lawn in December after the city's last leaf-vacuuming pickup, you'll be able to put them in a brown paper bag for Allied to pick up.

"Hopefully that will take care of the issue we had this year where we had leaves out (on the curbs) until the spring," said Dan Dinges, public works director, at this week's committee of the whole meeting. The city picks up leaves in October and November, but leaves fell later than usual in 2007. The city planned extra pickups, but the early onset of heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures pushed the work back repeatedly.

The contract also adds an option for senior citizens, who, because they typically have smaller households, might not generate a lot of trash but don't want to wait to fill a 33-gallon garbage can. They will be able to buy packs of special 18-gallon trash bags for $1.80 a bag.

The new contract also adds an option for renting a 65-gallon wheeled toter for disposing of recyclable materials, at $3.30 a month. Residents would still be free to use small recycling bins.

People who rent 95-gallon trash toters will pay a nickel more per month, or $19 the first year.

Other area towns have added the recycling toter service, as people have increased their recycling habits.

Allied's proposal was the cheapest for residents who use zero to one sticker per week. A proposal from Waste Management was cheaper for households that use two or more. Geneva city workers drove around town to see how many stickers people use, and say that most use one or none each trash day.

The contract also includes a clause that, if people throw too much trash in with their recyclables in the 65-gallon toters, the company reserves the right to cancel the program. Such trash contaminates the recyclables stream, and reduces the money the company makes off selling the recyclable material.

The contract is scheduled for a vote Monday.