Rolling Meadows residents want trash referendum
While city officials finalize prices from outside garbage collection vendors, some Rolling Meadows residents are asking the city to keep the services in house, or at least let the issue come to a vote at a referendum in November.
Rolling Meadows is one of the few suburbs that still collects its own garbage, a service residents said they enjoy and don’t want to change.
However, as the city budget tightens, officials have been looking at proposals from Groot Industries and Veolia Environmental Services to see if the same work could be done for a cheaper price. A trimmed proposal from the city is still in the mix as well, though it is at a higher cost than the two other companies.
Officials have said that the services offered will be an apples-to-apples comparison and that residents shouldn’t notice any change in services.
However, at Tuesday’s city council meeting several residents spoke up against changing the garbage collection services.
“The guys have done a wonderful job; we’ve never had a problem,” said resident Tressa Glassman. “I don’t think we ought to try to fix something that’s not broken.”
Resident and local real estate broker Laura Majikes said she tells clients about the great service Rolling Meadows offers as an incentive for moving to the city and that it would be a mistake to change it.
Residents also urged the board to bring the issue up for a vote in the form of a referendum question on the November ballot. Council members discussed putting the issue on the March ballot, but decided against it since prices had not been finalized.
“I’ve been here 30 years and the services are just impeccable,” said resident Kathy Hoffman. “I think it should go out to a referendum and have the people say what they really want.”
Resident Maureen Suchecki said she has been attending city council meetings where the refuse question has been discussed and she feels like the aldermen aren’t listening to the residents who continuously speak out against outsourcing.
“I’m strongly urging a referendum,” Suchecki said. “The city of Rolling Meadows has always turned to people for their opinion and I feel like on this issue no one has done that.”
Although the council does not address residents during public comment, Alderman Larry Buske spoke up later in the meeting.
“The garbage issue has been a tough issue. This is something that had to be looked at for savings, but I don’t think anyone has made up their mind yet because we don’t have the final facts and figures,” Buske said.
Mayor Tom Rooney said he has been getting four or five letters a week from residents on this issue, with the majority writing against privatizing garbage collection
Rooney has said all along that public input will in some way be a part of the decision on what has been a controversial topic. Whether that comes in the form of more public comment, a public hearing, special meetings or a referendum will be discussed at the next committee of the whole meeting on July 19, Rooney said.