Elgin council presses waste hauler for low-income senior discounts, composting
Elgin's contract with Waste Management is up for renewal and the city council is pressing the company to offer a discount for low-income seniors and more options for organic/yard waste composting.
The five-year contract with the company expires Dec. 30 and city officials must decide by June 30 whether to renew for another five years. Public Works Superintendent Aaron Neal and 311 Citizen Services Manager Jennifer Phillips told the council Wednesday that Elgin has had a long "valued" partnership" with Waste Management. They have been working on the terms for a renewal.
Residents now pay $16.76 monthly for garbage and recycling pickup. That's less than what residents pay in Gilberts, South Elgin, Batavia, Hampshire, Bartlett, East Dundee, Geneva, St. Charles and Hoffman Estates, and more than what Aurora and Naperville residents pay, city staff members said.
Elgin's new contract would include a rate freeze for 2020, followed by a 3.25% yearly increase up to $19.03 monthly by 2024. The current contract included a 3% yearly increase.
The new contract also would include two new programs: electronics, or "e-waste," recycling at an additional $1.35 per month for all residents, and optional organics/yard waste composting at $15.71 monthly April through November.
The e-waste program would allow people to recycle electronics, including old TVs and monitors, that now costs $20 at city drop-off events and more at local recycling stations. The program also would provide weekly pickup of hazardous waste - now monthly - for items such as pesticides, auto batteries and fluids, non-latex paint, thermometers and light bulbs.
Residents would be provided a 96-gallon container for organic/yard waste, and the city's sustainability commission would develop a campaign to educate residents about the benefits, city communications manager Molly Center said.
Council members agreed Waste Management has been a good partner since the city's first contract in 1990. However, "this is just business. I want to get the best possible deal for the municipality," Councilman Corey Dixon said.
Councilwoman Tish Powell said the organics/yard waste program should provide several sizes of containers, because 96 gallons might be "overkill" and difficult to store for some residents. She also said residents might prefer paying "as you go" for e-waste stickers, rather than a monthly fee.
She added that "$1.35 may not seem like a lot" but it amounts to nearly half a million dollars a year for the company.
Councilman Terry Gavin said he, too, hesitates about adding monthly fees. Councilman Toby Shaw said he liked the sticker idea.
Council members said they want feedback from residents regarding the new options before they vote at the June 26 meeting.
The city doesn't make money from its contract with Waste Management. The company subsidizes hazardous waste disposal at $1 per household, or $30,000 annually, city staff members said.
Councilwoman Carol Rasuchenberger asked about the company's long-term plans and whether Elgin should set goals to reduce waste.
Vaughn Kuerschner, public sector representative for Waste Management, said the company's biggest focus is reducing recycling contamination, particularly from plastic bags. Elgin gets "kudos" for reducing contamination from 48% in 2016 to 18% last year as a result of an educational campaign, he said.