Arlington Hts. will share garbage survey results Wednesday

Arlington Heights residents have proved they care about garbage, Mayor Arlene Mulder told the local Rotary Club Thursday. And they can express more opinions at a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 7, at village hall.

A survey about possible changes in the contract for residential waste pickup went to 3,000 single-family homes. More than 2,000 were returned, which Mulder said is about four times what would be considered a good response.

In addition, 209 residents were surveyed by telephone, and more than 700 people completed an online survey on the Village's Web site, according to a news release Thursday from the department of health services.

Public Research Group of Naperville, which the village paid about $12,000 to work on the survey, will take comments on garbage and recycling service at Wednesday's meeting and give preliminary survey results, said James McCalister, director of health services.

"Younger, newer residents that you might call more 'green' want the toters and once a week pickup," said Mulder. "Older residents who have been in the community a long time, even though they have very little garbage said, 'Don't confuse me with change.'"

People who want garbage pickup to remain twice a week using plastic bags, said the wheeled containers might be too big for them to handle, said Mulder.

The village's contract with Groot Industries Inc., of Elk Grove Village, expires March 31, 2011.

The mayor spent most of her Rotary talk Thursday going over the village's $134 million budget that is expected to be approved at the Village Board meeting Monday, April 5.

The bad economy, especially lower sales and income taxes, have forced the village to close the Teen Center and drop the Too Good for Drugs program in village schools, she said.

In addition, employees have been laid off, open positions not filled, property and sales taxes raised and a utility tax instituted.