Some 'Discomfort' With Trash Change: Darien Mayor

DARIEN, IL – Darien residents will find that the city's switch in garbage companies was the right thing to do, the mayor said last week.

In the city's weekly newsletter, Mayor Joseph Marchese said change often meets resistance, even when it is positive.

"In my role as a public official, I have encountered more resistance to change than acceptance, especially when it deals with an issue affecting a resident’s day-to-day life," the mayor said.

He said he and aldermen looked at the greater good for trash service. Last fall, the City Council decided to switch from Houston-based Waste Management to Morton Grove-based LRS. The change took effect Friday.

"In almost all cases, we usually select that which has the greatest positive impact on the majority of our residents," Marchese said. "One such program is our new waste collection and recycling program. We sought and negotiated a program that we felt would best serve the majority, if not all of our residents."

In the debate over the change, the mayor said, city officials heard from "a very small segment" upset with it.

He was likely speaking about low-volume customers who have long used stickers. The new contract allows no stickers, meaning those residents' costs will likely increase.

But officials have said other customers were picking up some of the costs for low-volume users.

Marchese referred to English author Arnold Bennett's statement: "Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts."

"(W)e are now going through a transition, where there might be some 'discomforts' until we complete that transition and our new service becomes the norm," the mayor said.

He thanked those who welcomed the change.

"I assure all of you dealing with some anxiety regarding this change that in several months you will understand why we chose this path of change," he said.

City officials said they liked the offer by LRS, which meant unlimited pickup of garbage, yard waste and recycling. Under the contract, residents also can dispose of one bulk item per week and take part in a food composting program.