Arlington Hts. trustees say it's time to end twice-weekly garbage pickup

Once-weekly garbage pickup, instead of twice a week, may be back on the table in Arlington Heights soon, according to two village trustees who say they will push for the change when the town's current contract with Groot Industries Inc. runs out early in 2016.

Trustees John Scaletta and Mike Sidor both raised the issue of garage pickup during an Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce candidate forum before the April 7 election. Now re-elected, both say they want to discuss a change before signing a waste hauling new contract.

Arlington Heights and Skokie are the only members of the 23-member SWANCC, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, with twice-a-week garbage pick up, said David Van Vooren, the agency's executive director.

Some towns provide once-a-week pickup and allow individual residents to pay extra if they want more, Van Vooren said.

Sidor and Scaletta see the potential cutback as a way to protect village streets and save money.

“I think one-day-a-week garbage pickup could be a viable solution going forward,” Sidor said. “The bigger picture is wear and tear on the roads and money may get tighter depending what Gov. (Bruce) Rauner does.”

Scaletta agreed.

“We have trucks on our streets 52 more times a year than I think we need,” Scaletta said.

“If we had less truck traffic on our streets we would have less damage to our streets.”

It is too soon to know how much money the village could save by switching to once-weekly garbage pickup because officials would first have to seek bids from waste haulers.

Scaletta and Sidor said they haven't talked with other members of the village board to know if there is widespread support for the idea.

A change may hit a snag with residents, though.

The village in 2010 hired Public Research group to conduct a survey on the issue before the last contract negotiations. Results showed respondents were split nearly evenly.

According to the survey, 34 percent of online respondents and 42 percent of mail and telephone respondents said they would oppose reducing the frequency of trash collection.

Sidor said he has heard from residents who would be OK with a change, though.

“I'm not saying there's a consensus, but people approached me and said they could live without it,” Sidor said.

“I don't know that we need two-day-a-week garbage pickup. Most of the people I've talked to feel it's perfectly fine to do one day a week.”

The issue likely will come up for discussion late this year or early next year, said Building and Health Director James McCalister.

The village's current contract with Groot expires March 31, 2016.

“It's something I'm going to advocate for,” Scaletta said.