A new series of collection rates will go into effect later this year as Glencoe moves to outsource garbage pickup.
At a recent village board meeting, trustees unanimously approved a plan shifting garbage collection efforts from an internal operation to outsourcing the effort starting Nov. 1. Under the new five-year contract, Morton Grove-based Lakeshore Recycling Systems will collect garbage as opposed to the village’s public works employees. LRS already handles the recycling collection for the village.
This move comes after village staff said an 18-month garbage pickup analysis and concluded the switch would result in long-term capital cost savings of more than $1.5 million.
Yet the new system would result in some price shifts for some residents.
Under the new plan, residents who have their trash picked up once a week at the curb will see the current $68.80 per quarter rate stay in place. The twice-weekly curbside rate will decrease from $156 to $113.47.
But once a week, top-of-drive collection in which crews enter the driveway will rise from $68.80 to $98.97 per quarter and twice-weekly top-of-drive will go from $156 to $161.47 per quarter.
Village President Larry Levin acknowledged some residents will pay more but believes this is better system overall for Glencoe.
“People would be paying a lot more if we maintained collection in-house because our costs to do it internally are higher than the ones we found via outsourcing,” Levin said. “(LRS) was able to give us lower prices than we could because they can spread the costs over a large number of communities where our residents would have to pay the full cost if we continued to pick up the garbage.”
Joshua Connell, a managing partner with LRS, said his company provides services throughout the North Shore, including to Winnetka, Highwood and Highland Park.
Adam Hall, a management analyst in the village manager’s office, said currently approximately half of the almost 3,000 households in Glencoe use curbside pickup and the other half use top-of-drive.
With the shift to LRS, citizens who live out of town for at least three months during the year may elect to have collection suspended as long as 30-day notice is provided to LRS and garbage is not being generated on the property, according to the village.
In addition, starting Nov. 1, residents will no longer receive a garbage and recycling collection charge from the village. Instead, they will receive a bill directly from LRS.
Levin added the village and LRS are developing a hardship program for residents who physically may not be able to take their garbage to the curb.
Earlier at the same meeting, trustees directed village staff to enter into a professional services agreement with Chicago’s Active Transportation Alliance for a study on a potential biking and walking path for the village. This was a request was submitted by the village’s Sustainability Task Force.
The cost of the study is slightly more than $20,000 and it is intended to be an initiative between the village, Glencoe District 35 and the Glencoe Park District. District 35 and Park District officials confirmed they would pay for a portion of the study.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter.
