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Batavia won't change garbage company after all

Some Batavia trash customers will pay less for trash pickup starting July 1 - but they won't be saving as much money as was possible.

And others may not save anything at all.

Instead of going with the company that proposed the lowest prices, the city council voted 10-4 to stick with Florida-based Advanced Disposal.

Lakeshore Recycling had offered to charge $2.60 per trash sticker, 80 cents less than current sticker prices, and for those on monthly subscription services, prices that were about $5 less per month than the current prices.

Advanced Disposal offered to cut its sticker to $3.10. It lowered toter rentals by 4 to 66 cents.

Last Tuesday, aldermen decided at a committee to go with Lakeshore.

But Advanced Disposal sent a letter with new, lower sticker price of $2.95 to the city Friday.

Several aldermen said that in the last week, many residents had told them to stay with Advanced Disposal, even if it wasn't the lowest price. People were pleased with the company's service.

But Alderman Mark Uher said there had been an "aggressive campaign" by Advanced Disposal, its employees and their families, to influence aldermen. Dozens of employees attended meetings Monday and last week, and workers attached fliers to garbage cans urging residents to tell aldermen to vote in favor of Advanced Disposal.

Aldermen Elliott Meitzler and Dan Chanzit changed their votes, going in favor.

Alderman Mark Uher, who voted "no," argued that the vote did not help many of the customers, because it did not lower cost for subscriptions. An estimated 35 to 40 percent of customers rent 35-, 65- and 95-gallon toters by the month.

The Geneva City Council was advised by its attorney that it could not consider a similar letter to it from Advanced Disposal, per city ordinance and state law. Geneva then voted to hire Lakeshore.

St. Charles will discuss whether to hire Lakeshore or Advanced Disposal at a committee meeting May 29.

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