East Dundee seeking new deal to lower garbage fees

Hoping to make garbage services more affordable for residents, East Dundee is considering a renegotiated refuse contract that includes reduced rates and more trash bin size options.

The village started charging residents directly for garbage collection in 2017 - a decision met with "obvious opposition" in the form of yard signs, public comments and social media posts, Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said. Nearly two-thirds of 895 voters in the March 2018 election also said yes to an advisory referendum question asking to revoke the $19.90 monthly fee on their utility bills.

In response to the pushback, village officials have been seeking ways to mitigate the burden on residents, Johnsen said. Those efforts prompted Flood Brothers Disposal to propose a new pricing model that includes lower rates based on cart size, as well as a senior discount.

In turn, the refuse hauler is requesting a three-year contract extension with East Dundee, meaning the deal would be in effect until September 2025. Trustees acting as a committee this week supported the proposed changes, which are expected to be up for a final vote in March.

"It was very visible that the residents were concerned about having to pay for garbage services going forward," Johnsen said. "We hope residents will understand we were listening to them and we heard their concerns and we tried to address them."

A 65-gallon trash cart, costing $21.20 per month, is the only option now available to East Dundee residents. Under the new rate structure, homeowners would be able to choose between a 35-gallon, 65-gallon or 95-gallon bin, with rates ranging from $16.75 to $19.75 per month.

The new contract also would allow residents ages 65 and older to use a 35-gallon bin for $13.75 per month.

Those rates would be locked in until 2021, at which point costs could increase based on the consumer price index.

East Dundee also is considering offering its own 25 percent senior discount, which could be used regardless of cart size, Johnsen said. That program would cost the village about $16,875 per year.

"I think the important thing is that everyone's going to get a savings with this new negotiated contract," Village President Lael Miller said. "Seniors are going to have a dramatic savings on this."

Each household would have up to six months to swap out its cart size before a $10 fee would be implemented. The new proposal also includes a food composting option that would operate April through November.

Recycling rates and other services offered in the existing contract would not change.

The village previously spent about $360,000 annually on refuse collection out of its operating budget. Implementing the monthly service charge on residents has allowed the village to instead spend the money on necessary capital projects, such as road improvements, Johnsen said.

Trustees agreed to re-evaluate subsidizing some or all of those costs each year, though Johnsen said the village "is just not in the position at this time to do that."

If the village board approves the updated contract, the village will send out a mailer notifying residents of the changes.