Arlington Heights looks at garbage changes

Arlington Heights residents will not be pushing garbage carts to the curb, but they might use recycling carts, and garbage pickup could happen just once a week.

The village board outlined points for a request for quotes from waste hauling companies Monday and will vote formally on them at a regular board meeting May 17. The current contract with Groot Recycling & Waste Services, Inc. expires March 31, 2011.

Whether to seek a price for garbage carts for all single-family homes split the board Monday with four trustees and Mayor Arlene Mulder saying they did not want price quotes on carts and four saying they did. That means the village will continue to use plastic garbage bags.

But trustees want potential bidders to know the village might change its mind during a contract period. The contract will last five years with an option to extend for the same length of time.

The amount residents would be charged for voluntarily renting garbage carts will be in the request.

The village will ask for quotes for villagewide recycling carts as well as continuing to use the smaller bins that now hold recycling. The amount residents would pay for voluntary renting of recycling carts would also be included.

"We don't recommend mandating both types of carts communitywide," Village Manager Bill Dixon said after the meeting. "Thus we don't need pricing on the carts for solid waste."

Companies will be asked to give separate prices on collecting garbage once and twice per week. Arlington Heights and Skokie are the only communities in the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County where residents have their garbage picked up twice a week.

The board received results of a survey of village residents that showed a very slim majority of residents favor once-a-week garbage pickup, but most would have a problem storing garbage carts and most oppose paying for either type of cart.