Inequity In Darien Garbage Rates: Official

DARIEN, IL — Darien has an inequity in its garbage rates, which may result in renters of rollout containers subsidizing those who use stickers for their trash, a top official said this week.

At Monday's City Council meeting, City Administrator Bryon Vana spoke about a proposal to do away with stickers for the next contract with a garbage hauler. This was suggested five years ago, but a split City Council decided to keep the stickers. The stickers are considered better for older residents and others who produce less trash.

Many sticker users end up disposing their garbage at their workplaces, in park district containers or in neighbors' rollouts, which creates "built-in inequities" in rates, Vana said.

"We all know what happens with a sticker program over time: People find alternative places to bring garbage, and that affects people who are buying stickers and who are renting carts," he said. "There is that segment that brings their garbage elsewhere. Looking into the future, that would cause huge increases in the sticker price or you're going to have people who rent the carts subsidize that by doubling the cart prices."

Now, a sticker is $3.91 per container. But Darien's current hauler, Houston-based Waste Management, says it would raise the sticker price to $6.50 and introduce a $5.25 monthly base rate for sticker customers.

In 2020, the number of stickers purchased annually in Darien dropped to 155,000, down from 180,500 in 2016, according to the company.

"That's a substantial drop," Waste Management's Vaughn Kuerschner told the council. "When stickers drop like that, we are not able to cover our costs. We assumed certain sticker sales when we started the contract. Going forward, if we were to continue with stickers, we would have to introduce a monthly base rate."

Under Waste Management's proposal, Darien would have a full cart program with unlimited weekly service for garbage, recycling and yard waste. And residents could dispose of one bulk item such as a sofa or chair each week. The service would amount to $25.30 a month. That could be reduced to $22.70 for residents who would have recycling picked up every other week.

Also under the proposal, residents 65 and older would receive the same service for $12 per month, but with a smaller 35-gallon rollout.

During public input, one resident urged the City Council to keep the stickers. He said he is in a dual-income family with no children.

"There is a significant portion of the population that would prefer stickers," Doug Hodak said. "I have no aversion to Waste Management or the other programs and features. I would like you to consider leaving the option for stickers."

The council made no decisions. The city's contract with Waste Management expires March 31. Waste Management took ownership of the contract from Advanced Disposal in the last five years.