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It’s not the perfect answer, says Ward 6 Ald.
Mark Mahoney, but the new trash ordinance passed by the City Council on
Tuesday is good first step. The new ordinance, effective April
1, 2008, continues the current system of free yard-waste pickup in April
and November, with $1.50 stickers mandatory for pickup during the rest of
the year. Waste haulers must now also pick up bags without stickers, but
they are allowed to directly bill residents $2 per bag the second time bags
are set out without them. Mahoney worked for the removal of
the yard-waste-sticker system, calling it confusing and ineffective, and
instead proposed assigning the responsibility to the city. In the end, he
says, the council was not behind him.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 2
Ald. Gail Simpson supported Mahoney by proposing an amendment to establish
city-funded yard-waste pickup, but it was struck down after Mayor Tim
Davlin said that the service would consume the bulk of the city’s
available funds. For this reason, Simpson says, she voted against the
entire ordinance, along with Ward 3 Ald. Frank Kunz and Ward 4 Ald. Frank
Lesko. “It doesn’t go far enough,” Simpson
says. “Citizens shouldn’t have to worry about garbage and yard
waste.”
Among some of the new ordinance’s other
provisions: · Mandates that garbage be left for pickup in
an alley unless the resident lives in an area without alleys. · Requires waste haulers to provide monthly
reports listing their customers’ addresses. · Requires residents who do not have garbage
service to sign up by April 2008 or face $250-a-month fines. · Holds landlords responsible for garbage
service. The trash ordinance also will establish a city garbage
commission in December 2008. “I’m satisfied that we took a
step,” Mahoney says. “I know some think the ordinance
doesn’t go far enough, but in a year we’ll see how it works and
go from there.”
Contact Amanda Robert at arobert@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2007.
