North Aurora increases garbage sticker price

North Aurora residents will pay more for trash stickers starting June 1, under a five-year contract the village board approved Monday.

But those who instead rent large toters will pay less.

The board voted 4-3 to stick with current hauler Waste Management. The price of stickers per 32-gallon bag or can will rise 3 percent, to $3.61 a sticker.

By June 2020, stickers will cost $4.03 apiece.

But the 96-gallon toter rental will drop $5, to $23 a month.

By June 2020, stickers will cost $4.03 apiece, and the toters $25.68 a month.

Trustee Laura Curtis hopes lower toter prices will encourage more people to use them. She said that would reduce litter from garbage blowing out of smaller cans and bags. Trustees Chris Faber and Mark Carroll agreed with her. The three voted "no," wanting to go with a contract from Advanced Disposal that would have offered a toter for $19.50 a month.

That bid, however, would have split garbage pickup in to two collection days, and eliminated an amnesty days. On the spring and fall amnesty days, residents can put out unlimited trash.

Under the new contract, the village will still have two amnesty days a year. The contract will also still offer two months of free leaf pickup in brown paper bags in the fall.

Authorities had considered dropping the amnesty days and the leaf pickup to save money. The savings from dropping leaf pickup was negligible. The real money-saver was in killing amnesty. Without them, stickers would have cost $3.30 for Waste Management, and $3.55 for Advanced Disposal.

Village administrator Steven Bosco said that 87 percent of eligible households use only stickers for trash and 13 percent use toters. And those using stickers use an average of 43 per year, or less than one sticker per week.

"A lot of people don't have that much garbage," Gaffino said.

The contract does not apply to multifamily buildings of four or more units. Those usually have Dumpster service.