Batavia plans to stick with garbage stickers, but change companies
Batavia aldermen favor sticking with stickers for residential garbage pickup.
But it will likely change garbage companies, albeit reluctantly.
Meeting as a committee, aldermen voted 8-5 Tuesday to contract with Lakeshore Recycling of Morton Grove.
Lakeshore will replace Advanced Disposal, which has been picking up Batavia's garbage for 15 years, under the Advanced Disposal name and previously as Veolia.
The contract covers pickup of trash and recyclables for single-family households, and city sites.
For those who use pay-per-can stickers, the cost will decrease, from $3.40 currently to $2.60, in the first year of the proposed five-year contract. That would rise to $3.10 by Year 5.
Those who rent toters will see price decreases also. For example, a 65-gallon toter would drop from $23.85 a month to $18.25 in the first year of the contract.
The city's public works director and streets-and-sidewalk superintendent had recommended changing to a program where all customers rented toters.
Advanced Disposal also offered lower prices.
"This is a very tough decision because in the long run no matter who we go with we are saving money," Alderman Susan Stark said. All aldermen indicated they are happy with Advanced Disposal's service. The executive director of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce urged the council to stay with Advanced Disposal, noting the company's charitable donations to Batavia community events and its management's involvement with the chamber.
Advanced Disposal, which is headquartered in Florida, has an office in Batavia. It also owns a waste-transfer station in Batavia.
Under the proposed contract, Lakeshore will have to take all Batavia garbage to that transfer station. The city receives a fee for each ton of garbage handled there.
The contract still needs a binding vote by the city council.