Politics & Government
QuickStory: You're Going to Have More Options for Garbage Collection—and Maybe a Lower Sticker Price
Geneva is looking at a new garbage-collection contract that will give residents a choice to stick with stickers or try out totes.
The Geneva City Council is looking at a new garbage-collection contract starting July 1 that could lower the cost of garbage stickers and give residents more choices regarding the kinds of bins they use and the fees they're charged.
The council is looking at bids from two companies: Geneva's present waste-hauler, Republic Services (formerly called Allied Waste) and Advanced Disposal, which presently serves neighbors Batavia and St. Charles.
Geneva and Batavia simultaneously sought bids for waste-hauling service, hoping they might get a better deal. But on Monday night, Public Works Director Dan Dinges said the joint contract probably wouldn't happen.
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
"What we learned is several municipalities have tried a joint bid, and ultimately, they ended up going their own way," he told the City Council. "To make it economical, they would have to be identical contracts. If (the waste hauler) has to change for each community, it doesn’t make a lot of sense."
Dinges presented aldermen with three options Monday night: stick with the sticker system we have now, move to a sticker system plus a new, standard recycling tote or require residents to use a standard tote container for garbage and for recycling.
Find out what's happening in Genevawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
No decisions were made Monday night, but council members seemed to be leaning away from Option 3—the "all-totes" option for a fixed fee.
The good news for residents is that garbage sticker costs could go down to as low as $2.70. The price for the 2012 fiscal year is $3.18, according to the city's website. The other good news is that residents likely will be able to select from a number of service options.
For example, you could choose to use your present garbage can or you could rent a tote for $1.20 a month. You could choose from 35-gallon, 65-gallon or 95-gallon totes for garbage and for recycling—depending on your family's needs. Or you could choose to pay a monthly rate instead of the per-sticker price.
The City Council has a number of variations to consider, including the length of the contact (five years or 10 years, for example) as well as different combinations of services.
